Bunny, Buffy, What’s the Difference?
by mmooch
Summary: Buffy fills in for an injured Xander at NCIS and meets her father, who thought she died two decades ago.
1. Prologue: A New Name

**Bunny, Buffy, What's the Difference?**

Summary: Buffy fills in for an injured Xander at NCIS and meets her father, who thought she died two decades ago.

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N: Kelly wasn't 8 when she died, but 3-4. Dawn was released back into the cosmos when the portal closed and Buffy died.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help...CindyB and zigpal

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A/N3: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

This is a Buffy's real father challenge. I know Buffy's age is a bit off, but this IS fiction. My idea is that Joyce & Buffy Summers are really Shannon & Kelley Gibbs.  
Instead of being killed, they were placed in witness protection. Shannon refused to allow Gibbs be told the truth because she felt that he led too dangerous a life. Buffy doesn't remember her earlier life.

This fic should be post _Chosen_. Giles being the wise man he is decides that having people trained in various fields would be beneficial to the IWC. The government wanting to score points with the new………(more)

**Prologue: A New Name**

Shannon Gibbs was busy packing up the rest of her and Kelly's clothing that they had just bought. They couldn't take anything from their old life – not that Shannon wanted to anyway. She was tired of sitting up nights waiting for the phone to ring or flinching when she saw Marines in dress uniforms – sure that they were coming to tell her of her husband's death halfway across the world.

That's what made this situation a blessing in disguise. Going into witness protection wasn't the greatest way out, but at least she didn't have to admit publicly with a divorce that her marriage was a failure. Now she and Kelly – no, _Buffy_ – were free to start a _normal_ life for themselves. She just hoped that the trauma-induced memory loss that her daughter had suffered would keep her from remembering Jethro.

**Six months later, LA…**

Shannon – now Joyce – had gotten her wish. Buffy's memory still had enough holes in it for her new husband, Hank Summers, to be able to slide into the role of Buffy's daddy. This was best for all of them; she knew it. Even Jethro could move on and focus on his career instead of splitting his attention between duty and family.

**And in England…**

"It has been confirmed. Kelly Gibbs, daughter of Leroy aka 'Jethro' and Shannon Gibbs has died along with her mother in a car accident. Her name is to be striked off the list of Potentials to be retrieved," a nameless Council member announced to the archivist.

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A/N: Next…Flash to the future.


	2. Chapter 1: A New Assignment

**Chapter 1: A New Assignment**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help...zigpal and CindyB

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**Twenty years later…**

**Ursagga**** (formerly Watchers) Council, England**

"Why do _I_ have to go, Giles?" Buffy complained. "Isn't this supposed to be my vacation time?"

Giles looked at her indulgently. "And I do apologize, Buffy. But Xander is too injured to go and there just aren't that many members of the Council that are old enough to work for the government. Besides, you already have the necessary clearance."

She just glared back at him – even though she wasn't angry at him personally. "And how did I get that clearance? Oh yeah, from the _last_ time I got involved with the military! You know me and them are unmixy things!"

"That was only because they were trying to involve themselves in our matters. NCIS sticks to its own area of expertise. Anyway, my old mentor, Dr. Mallard, is quite looking forward to meeting you," he added with a fond smile.

"Why? What has he heard about me?" Buffy asked warily. Those kind of smiles were dangerous, especially coming from Giles.

"He knows that you are the Slayer, if that's what you're asking. He's a medical examiner; he's come across his fair share of 'unexplained' cases. Please, Buffy. As a favor to me?" Giles pleaded.

Buffy knew she was being stubborn, but it was part of the game they played. He'd ask her to do something, she'd fight it tooth and nail and in the end she do what he wanted…most of the time. "You're just lucky the Immortal is getting on my nerves. Just because he's 'dating' my lookalikes, doesn't mean he has any claim on me! Ooo!!! Does this mean I get to break up with him? Pretty please?" she asked with a sunny smile mixed with a sort of hopeful pout that only she could manage.

He shook his head, chuckling softly at her. "Just do it nicely; he's a somewhat valuable resource to the Council."

"Fine!" she said with a full pout this time. "So who's the guy I'm supposed to work with?"

"The _woman_ who is the NCIS Director is named Jenny Shepard; the team leader that you are supposed to be assigned to is called Leroy 'Jethro' Gibbs."

"Well, at least he can't give me crap about _my_ name," she replied hopefully.

-----------------------------

**NCIS, Washington, DC**

"Buffy? Her name is _Buffy_?" Gibbs asked incredulously. "How are we supposed to take a 'Buffy' seriously?"

"I don't know, _Jethro_," Director Shepard shot back. "But just remember this…our orders come directly from the President to make this representative feel welcome. So I expect your team to be on its best behavior. That means you being civil and DiNozzo keeping it in his pants!"

"She'd just better not get in our way," he said with a glare.

She smirked back, knowing that she held the knockout blow with what she said next. "I wouldn't worry too much about that. She was issued a Special Presidental Security Clearance four years ago after her assistance in cleaning up a busted op. I wasn't given all the details; just that it was only due to her aid that the casuality rate was limited to 60% instead of total."

Gibbs' eyes narrowed in suspicion. "And she's _not_ former military?"

"No, just a civilian with specialized expertise," Shepard answered with a shrug, clearly just as lost as he was. To be honest, she was intriguied at this woman. She obviously had the respect and admiration of the top brass. What was even more surprising – and which she didn't share with Gibbs - was Buffy's age…just 23! And that made her only 19 when she bailed out that op.

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A/N: Special bonus to anyone – other than CindyB – who can guess the meaning behind the new Council name.

A/N2: Next…Meeting NCIS.


	3. Chapter 2: A New Team

**Chapter 2: A New Team**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... CindyB and zigpal

-----------------------------

**NCIS**

"Hello, hello!" Tony DiNozzo leered as the beautiful little blonde stepped out of the elevator into the bullpen. "Probie, now _that's_ a woman!"

Tim McGee rolled his eyes at the agent before answering sardonically, "Thanks, I wasn't sure."

"I just figured that since you haven't had a date in so long, maybe you were," he shot back. He stood as she got closer and held his hand out. "Hello, may I help you, Miss…?" he asked charmingly.

"I'm looking for either Director Shepard or Special Agent Gibbs," Buffy replied coolly. With her enhanced hearing, she'd heard his earlier comments and just prayed to the Powers that she wouldn't have to work with this walking hormone. "Buffy Summers, UC liaison to NCIS."

"Agent DiNozzo, Miss Summers. It's a pleasure," he responded with a wide smile, holding her had longer than necessary.

Buffy struggled to control her strength; it would be _so_ easy just to add a little more pressure and break that slimy hand. He must have taken lessons in charm from the Immortal, which was _very_ bad for Agent DiNozzo. "Shepard or Gibbs, please," she requested calmly.

"Director Shepard's office is just up the stairs, Ms. Summers," McGee interjected, sensing that Tony's charm wouldn't work on this one. Who knows, maybe she was married or something.

"Thank you, Agent…?" she said with her first real smile of the visit as she turned to McGee, practically yanking her hand out of DiNozzo's.

"McGee. Tim McGee," he answered with a shy smile.

"Don't worry, he's just a probie agent," DiNozzo interrupted dismissively, attempting to regain her attention.

"But he's the one who answered my question, Agent DiNozzo," she returned with her best blonde, airheaded, cheerleader smile. No need to alienate the natives before meeting the boss – even if they were asking for it.

Before he could say anything back, his phone rang and she took the opportunity to slip up the stairs without his unwanted assistance.

-----------------------------

"Come in," Director Shepard called out at the knock on her door.

Buffy walked in purposefully, "Hello, Director Shepard. My name is Buffy Summers; I'm the liaison from UC. I hope I'm not late."

"Not at all," Shepard replied with a smile. "May I ask what UC stands for?"

The Slayer hesitated for a mere second, before answering, "Ursagga Council. We restructured after the old Council was destroyed in a bombing a couple years ago and decided that it needed a new name as well."

"What is it you do there?"

"Mostly 'need to know' stuff," Buffy told her, remembering one of the special phases to stop unwanted questions, "But we specialize in investigative work and now we also have small sets of units that provide protection around the world in various hotspots. I suppose in your terms, you could call them special ops teams."

"I'm telling _you_ this because you are the in charge person and we want a somewhat easy-going relationship with the different groups we collaborate with. That and I get the sense that I can trust you; I hope that it isn't misplaced and that you can keep this information between us until I say otherwise," she finished with a hint of a warning glare.

Which Shepard duly noted. "Thank you. I'll work not to make you regret it. As you are not actually an employee of NCIS, you may call me Director or Jenny, whichever you feel comfortable with."

"I appreciate that; you can call me Buffy. My mom was a big Elizabeth Taylor fan and we lived in California where all the little girls had cutesy names, so…" she finished with a defeated wave of her hands.

"Why she couldn't have named me Elizabeth and just given me the nickname of Buffy, who knows? I realize you don't need this litany, but I'm hoping that if _one_ person here knows the back-story, it might make its way around quietly so I don't have to continually defend my name each time I'm introduced," she explained with a pleading tone.

Shepard chuckled, pleased that the glare she received earlier must have just been a reflexive motion, given since she shared extremely confidential information. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to let the right people know and they'll tell the others without making it obvious that I want everyone to know. How's that?"

"Perfect!" Buffy sighed. "Now, Giles said that I'm supposed to work with Special Agent Gibbs' team. Is he in or are they out on a case right now?"

"Last I heard, they were in the building, catching up on some casework and waiting for reports from forensics." She grabbed her phone and called Gibbs to her office.

-----------------------------

"What's up, Director?" Gibbs asked as he strode into her office. "Ducky just called to tell me he has something to show me."

Shepard gestured to Buffy to introduce them, "This is your new liaison, Buffy Summers. Buffy, this is Special Agent Gibbs."

"Miss," he replied with a nod of the head, shaking her hand. He was surprised by the young girl's firm grip. There was something else that was bothering him about her. She seemed familiar somehow, but he couldn't figure out how.

"Agent Gibbs," she answered respectfully. Despite his obviously being former military, she liked his look. He was tough and not afraid to let people know it. "Would that be Donald Mallard that you're talking about?" she asked with a private smile.

The two NCIS agents shared a confused glance. "Uh, yes. He likes to be called Ducky though. Do you know him?" Gibbs inquired.

"Actually, he's an old friend of my…" she hesitated, unsure of how to describe Giles to these people, "co-worker, Rupert Giles."

Shepard shot her a look. "I thought Dr. Giles was the Head of UC."

"Oh, he is! But he's not really my _boss_. We're more of co-leaders, I guess you'd say. Along with two others. We each have our own area of expertise to keep an eye on," Buffy replied with a smile. She enjoyed their looks of surprise at her position in the Council.

"Then you are more than welcome to join me, if you'd like," Gibbs offered, smirking inwardly. He figured that the petite, doll-like blonde would turn tail and run once she got a look at the morgue.

"Great! Let's hit it then!" she said enthusiastically. She was excited to meet someone from Giles' past that he actually _admired_.

-----------------------------

They just got down the stairs when her stomach growled…loudly. She shot him a sheepish grin. "Sorry, I raced out before grabbing breakfast. Can I swipe one of the jellies over there?" she asked, pointing to the coffee table.

"Go right ahead."

"What's up, boss?" DiNozzo questioned, coming up to them, with McGee on his tail.

"Miss Summers here is going to be joining our information session with Ducky," he answered.

"Shouldn't we warn--" McGee shut up at the glare from Gibbs.

She bounced back over to them, donut and coffee in hand. "Okay, I'm ready to go!"

-----------------------------

They entered the morgue, letting Buffy go first. They were expecting her to go pale or maybe green at the sight of the cut up cadaver on the slab. But she just ate her last bite of donut and washed it down with her coffee before throwing the cup and napkin in the garbage. She even took the time to lick the raspberry jelly off her fingers as she approached the table.

She pretended not to notice their shocked and somewhat nauseous looks. _Honestly_, men were so predictable! She knew that when Gibbs didn't warn her Ducky was an ME, that he wanted her to run away screaming or something. Didn't he think that Giles would tell her what Ducky's job was?

"Jethro! So good of you to come. And you brought company, I see," Ducky greeted cordially.

"Yes. This is Buffy Summers of the--" Gibbs started.

"…Watchers Council," he finished with a beaming smile. "Rupert has told me so much about you over the years, Miss Summers."

"Well, one thing he must have forgot to mention is that we are no longer the Watchers Council, Dr. Mallard. We go by UC now," she smiled with a significant look, hoping that he would wait to question her until later."

DiNozzo was under no such request though. "What does UC stand for?"

Buffy fought the urge to pinch her nose in frustration. _**'They really should have picked a less unusual name than **__**Ursagga. Still it was better than 'Watchers'. Why not just announce to the world the history of Slayers while they're at it?'**_ she thought derisively. "The new founders chose the name Ursagga Council; don't ask me why," she added carelessly with a little extra blonde bimbo in her voice.

She smiled at Ducky though. "Giles said that you two had talked about me, Dr. Mallard. I just want you to know that you can't believe a word he says," she teased.

"I find that hard to believe. He certainly didn't exaggerate your _beauty_, young lady. And I insist you call me Ducky!" he added with a wink, shocking the other men in the room. They had never seen him act so…flirtatiously – and with a woman young enough to be his granddaughter!

"You know, he forgot to warn me that you were so charming! It must be an English thing, although I've met enough of your fellow countrymen to know that's not the truth. Maybe just the group you and Giles kept company with," she flirted back. "But you and I can getting better acquainted later, possibly over dinner? I believe you had news for these agents?"

"Delighted, are you free tonight?" At her nod, he turned back to the body on the slab and began his recitation of the deceased's injuries.

As they left the office, she handed the medical examiner a card with her local numbers on it, telling him she looked forward to seeing him that evening.

-----------------------------

A/N: Next…Gibbs learns a lesson.


	4. Chapter 3: A New Surprise

**Chapter 3: A New Surprise**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB

**Posted In Honor of the 50****th**** Review on TtH!**

-----------------------------

**NCIS**

On their way back to the bullpen, Ziva intercepted them. After being hastily introduced to Buffy, she told Gibbs she had a lead on the case they needed to follow up on right away. He told the others to go in one vehicle and 'Miss Summers' and he would follow in the other.

Although he was impressed with her ability to handle Ducky's job, that didn't automatically mean he was okay with being given what he perceived to be as a babysitting job. He guessed it was politics at its worst that she'd have the unique security clearance. And given her age and looks, she would still get in the way if there was trouble out in the field. He only hoped that it wouldn't hurt their case – or worse – cost someone their safety.

"Now listen, _Bunny_. While we are on scene, you are to stay out of the way. You got me?" he ordered with a sideways glare. He hoped to put her in her place. When he wanted to be, he could be downright intimidating and right now he wanted to.

Buffy turned to face him fully even though he was driving and couldn't do the same. "Now you listen, _Leroy_. I will allow you to mock my name the one time. That is one time _more_ than others get, I might add. And that is _only_ because I know it is annoying to be forced to let someone 'tag along' with your group. However, do it again and I'll knock you on your ass. You got _me_?" she bit out, trying to contain her anger. Even after as many times as it happened, having some macho shit pulled on her, still pissed her off beyond the telling of it.

He snorted in disbelief, "Ziva can't even do that and she's much better trained and deadly than you." The little blonde might be a decent fighter, but she'd have no chance against him or Ziva. Maybe Tony, if she were _really_ good.

"How would you _know_ she's better than me? You don't know how I've been trained. And I don't remember fighting her," she picked apart his observation. She was starting to think it was some sort of military blindness or something. Had they never ran into a deadly, small woman before? It was clear he respected this Ziva chick so he wasn't entirely a macho prick.

"Because she's Mossad," he answered simply.

"And…?" she prompted rhetorically then snorted, "You think _they're_ the toughest fighters in the world? Don't get me wrong, they are _among_ the best. But they certainly aren't _the_ best."

She took a deep breath to calm herself before giving him a wicked grin, a nasty plan forming in her mind. "I've got a proposition for you, _Agent_ Gibbs. When we get back to the office, you and I do best 2 out of 3 falls. If I win, you treat me – and my name – with the respect I deserve."

"And if I win?" he asked with a smirk. He thought maybe he could turn her into some sort of gopher for the team _and_ keep her out of his hair at the same time.

"I don't mock _your_ name and I _continue_ to treat you with the respect I've already shown you," she shot back with an identical smirk.

"Deal," he answered, then fell silent until they arrived at their location, lost in his thoughts.

Damn, she had a point. She _had_ treated him better than he treated her. Not to mention, Ducky genuinely liked her and he was a great judge of character. He just couldn't help himself. She unsettled him for some reason and that was making him act even more hostile than he _usually_ was to new people.

But it wasn't as if he could back down now without losing face. The best he could hope for was to not hurt her and if she made a good enough showing in their sparring match, he could use that as an excuse to treat her better. He prayed that she was as good as she thought she was.

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**Dingoes' Dance Den**

"So Ziva, where's this witness we need to talk to?" Gibbs barked as he got out of the vehicle.

Ziva took an unnecessary glance at her notes. "He's one of the sound guys here. The manager said that he'd be available to talk before he has to set up for the band coming in tonight."

Gibbs shook his head in annoyance that they had to come here instead of hauling him into the office. Too bad he just wasn't a suspect. He looked at his guest to remind her, "Miss Summers, if you could let _us_ handle this?"

Buffy fought the urge to roll her eyes at his fake politeness but decided to answer it in kind. "Not a problem, Agent Gibbs," she replied with a toothy smile.

The group made their way in and she watched them ask the witness question after question and get very little in response from him. She had deliberately kept out of 'earshot' range of the questioning, as well as out of sight of the guy they were with, but figured he knew she was there anyway.

When it finally looked like Agent Gibbs was going to lose his cool, she decided to intervene. She stood and walked to the group. "Excuse me, agents. I was wondering if you needed a drink from the bar. It's awfully dry in here," she offered with a secret wink to the witness as she came over. He answered with a barely noticeable lift of his eyebrows.

Ziva looked at her as if she had lost her mind. "What? No! We need to finish up with this witness!" she declared.

Buffy tilted to look past her as if to get a peek at the guy for the first time and her eyes widened in pretend shock. "Oz! What are you doing in DC? Last I heard you were doing the Tibet thing!" she rushed over to give him a genuine hug and smile.

"You know," he responded in true Oz fashion – just like he'd been doing to the agents during their questioning. This caused Gibbs to run his hand over his face in frustration.

"Miss Summers, you know this man? Why didn't you _say_ so?" he bit out irritatedly. The rest of his team winced. They knew that he was about to snap and it wouldn't be pleasant for any of them. Buffy and Oz just shared a smirk however.

"Well, Agent Gibbs…I've been sitting over at the bar, staying out of the way. I didn't see who your witness was until I came over here," she answered with wide eyes.

If you knew Oz well enough, you'd know that he was busting a gut laughing on the inside at her handling of this guy. There was something odd about him though. The werewolf in him was sure that he hadn't met the guy before, but he felt recognizable…like pack to him. Maybe Buffy would have an idea. He'd ask her later.

"Since you _do_ know him, would you mind getting him to help us?" Gibbs asked in an overly cordial fashion.

"Sure thing. What do you need to know from him?" she questioned perkily.

They went through the questions again and to the agents it didn't seem like she got much more than they did. But when she handed the piece of paper that she'd been scribbling on and it was filled with answers…_detailed_ answers. Tony stared at her in shock. "Wha--?" he started.

She chuckled, "You just have to be able to speak Oz-speak. He doesn't use many words, but the ones he does – plus his expressions and reactions – say a lot."

Gibbs couldn't believe this. There was no way that she could have really gotten all of _this_ out of what he said and did. He grabbed the paper and showed it to Oz. "Is this accurate?" he demanded.

Oz started to shrug but saw a pleading look in Buffy's eyes and chose to speak instead, "It is, Agent Gibbs. Sorry that I couldn't be clearer with you earlier. Just a force of habit, I guess."

He turned to Buffy. "Hey, I gotta get back to this. Wanna get together later?"

"Sure. I'm having dinner with an old buddy of Giles' tonight – one he _likes_," she quickly clarified. "Did you want to join us or do something another time? I don't think Ducky would mind if you came along," she told her friend.

He shook his head, "I'm not done here until after 3. Will you still be up?"

She stared at him to ask her own question about the area nightlife. "I don't know. Would it be okay if I stopped back after dinner?"

Oz shrugged noncommittally, "Fine with me. See you then." Then he walked back to his work.

The team stared at her, wondering just who she was and how she already knew two people in a town that she was supposedly new to. Right now though, they had more important things to deal with and went back to the office to follow up on the new leads that this 'Oz' character had given them.

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**One hour later…**

Gibbs and Buffy were alone in the gym after finishing their match. He had given his team their assignments when they got back to the office and practically dragged her down here so he could concentrate on trying to figure her out.

It was a good thing they kept their match private. At first he thought she suggested it to spare herself any embarrassment. But when he found himself staring up at her within seconds, he realized she did it for _his_ benefit. The second takedown took longer since he wasn't as arrogant in his approach, but she still managed it without breaking a sweat.

In his humbled state, he even offered to call her whatever official title she held in her organization. "I apologize, Miss Summers. You were right; I was treating you poorly and for the reason you mentioned. I like choosing who is on my team and who isn't. But it wasn't right for me to take it out on you personally. I will call you whatever you prefer…" Seeing the gleam in her eye, he hastily added, "_within_ reason."

This offer caused her to give him a warm – if enigmatic – smile. Buffy almost laughed at the reaction if she took him up on his offer to call her 'Slayer' – or 'Senior Slayer' as the majority of the rest of the Council called her when she couldn't convince them to call her Buffy. Then she promptly refused his offer, saying that he could call her Buffy.

"I'm guessing that you only treated me the same as any new addition, right?" she asked with a knowing smile. He nodded. "Then it's not too insulting. I _may_ have overreacted a bit because of a past bad experience or two as well."

"Well, you can feel free to call me Gibbs, most everyone at the office does," he responded. Then he had an evil thought. "What would you say to a repeat of the match? Next time with DiNozzo? We might be able to make a bit of money on the side," he egged her on.

"God's gift to women?" She pretended to think for a second. "Sounds perfect!"

"Just to warn you, Ziva will want a shot at you as well, especially once she sees you take down DiNozzo," he added, actually interested in watching _that_ match-up more. He didn't worry about her attitude toward Tony; she'd see that he was a good agent and more than just a skirt chaser. And Tony would probably learn to keep his hands to himself after the match.

"That's okay; she sounds like she's more of a challenge than he is," she answered with a laugh.

As he walked her out to her cab, he tried to get more out of her about her group but she deftly sidestepped any in-depth answers. She claimed 'need to know' and made it sound legitimate. Of course, this only heightened his curiosity about the young lady.

The other strange thing that he notice was, even _after_ she wiped the floor with him, he felt _protective_ of her. However, he wasn't attracted at all to her. Now, some think that was because he was partial to redheads, but that didn't mean he wasn't _ever_ interested in other types of women. And she was _very_ beautiful; he could say that objectively. Except that only fueled his protective streak towards her. She was like _Abby_ he realized with shock.

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A/N: Next…Dinner with Ducky.


	5. Chapter 4: A New Understanding

**Chapter: A New Understanding**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB

**Posted In Honor of the 10,000****th**** hit and 75****th**** review on TtH! Which are now long past. It would have been earlier, but had to write it first (grin). You all are turning me into a review junkie!**

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**Buffy's Hotel**

Ducky met Buffy at her hotel early that evening. He felt an excitement which was usually reserved for opera or autopsies. This was Rupert's indescribable Slayer. But the way he did describe her showed how much this remarkable young woman had completely encapsulated his old protégé's life and heart.

He felt he must find out if Rupert had been overstating her qualities or not. Given how she managed to survive – despite everything she faced day in and day out – spoke to her talents as the Slayer. And how she had bucked the conventions of the Watchers Council indicated the strength of her character. So it was entirely possible she was everything Rupert had claimed her to be.

Ducky greeted her with a charming smile, "Good evening, Miss Summers. Are you ready to go?"

"Please call me Buffy, Ducky. 'Miss Summers' gives me flashbacks to my principal, Mr. Snyder and that Council pillock, Quentin Travers." She smiled at his shocked look at her use of the word 'pillock', but he didn't say anything, probably assuming she was just parroting what Giles had said. Giles _had_ said it, but Buffy was merely agreeing with him.

Buffy turned from the door to reach for something. "Let me just get my jacket. Am I dressed alright for where we are going?" she inquired.

"Well, I actually thought that we'd have something delivered to my house," he said by way of an answer.

"Why Dr. Mallard! Are you trying to _seduce_ me?" she asked with a mock look of incredulity.

Ducky felt the blood drain out of his face at the insinuation. Harmless flirting was one thing, but if she or Rupert thought he was _seriously_ trying anything, he doubted that anyone at NCIS would find enough left to identify him. "Certainly not! I just thought we wouldn't want to have to censor what we say," he rushed to explain.

Buffy saw the look of abject mortification on his face and took pity. "Don't worry, Ducky. I was just teasing you," she comforted him with a gentle pat on the arm before commending his idea, "That actually does make a lot of sense. I'm sure Giles already told you about my trouble being 'secret identity' girl."

Once he felt his heart make its way back to his chest, he assured her, "It's not your fault if someone chooses _not_ to disregard what's staring them in the face. You weren't walking around, carrying a sign that proclaimed you were the Slayer, were you?" He smiled at her shake of the head. "Then let's be off, shall we?"

She grabbed the offered arm and threaded her own through it. "Let's shall! I hope you're planning on sharing lots of embarrassing stories about Giles from when he was younger," she pleaded with a conspiratorial wink.

-----------------------------

**Ducky's House**

They were halfway through their dinner before Ducky finally got around to sharing the story of how he and Giles had met. He was Professor Mallard of the Biology Department at Oxford during Giles' second attempt at completing his academic training.

Now, he may have set aside his rebellious 'Ripper' persona, but he wasn't quite ready to settle into the staid Watcher persona he was expected to become for those stodgy men in tweed.

Buffy took a quick sip of wine to wash down the bite she had almost choked on. "So you're saying that he stole a cadaver from your department and set it up in the Dean's office? ….On a _dare_? What happened when they found out he did it?"

"They never did. I only found out months after the fact. There was no point in turning him in then. Also, the Dean was an absolute ponce who deserved the aggravation," Ducky answered with a slightly malevolent grin.

"Did you _already_ know about vampires before that? Or did something happen after you two met?" the Slayer questioned her Watcher's mentor.

He set down his fork to begin his tale, "Well, I'd had the rare body disappear from the morgue before, but had been truly fortunate not to be present when they rose. The first time it occurred, Rupert just 'happened' to be passing by and saved my life."

He paused for a sip and then continued, "This was a couple weeks after I learned about the cadaver incident. I had gone to the local morgue for some paperwork. Suddenly, I heard pounding coming from one of the cooler units on the wall. When I opened it, this monster grabbed me by the throat and tried to feed on me." He shuddered at the memory.

"But Rupert was only a few seconds behind me and doused it with holy water, startling it. That gave me the chance to break free and, before it could do anything, Rupert staked it. A few tumblers of scotch later, he finished explaining about vampires. Over the years, he told me about the Council and Slayers. Finally, he told me about his own dark past and that he was afraid that he'd never escape the shame of it."

Ducky's face took on a dark expression at his walk down memory lane. "It was quite sad, you know. He was such a charming, intelligent and inventive young man. But he was being crushed by the disapproval of those in charge of the Council. It was just a big game to them, I suppose. Keep him in the fold so they could try to control him, but never let him feel like he could make amends for his sins. Bloody bastards! …Oh, I do apologize for using such language in your presence," he hastened to say when he recalled who he was speaking to.

Buffy just laughed it off. "I've probably thought and _said_ worse about them, Ducky. We never saw eye to eye on anything. The only things they did right in my opinion were sending me Merrick and Giles. Did he ever tell you about their wonderful test they had for me on my 18th birthday?"

He nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, he did. Poor boy. As soon as he found out about it, he overnighted a sample of the serum to me and begged me to come up with a counter-agent that he could give to you before you had to face that monster they picked out. He knew he couldn't defy them or else they would get rid of him – and possibly even you – if he did."

Her eyes widened in surprise at the news. "Why didn't he tell me that he had done that? I wouldn't have been so angry with him if I had known!"

Ducky patted her hand to soothe her. "He still felt like he failed you and that he deserved your anger. The Council really did a number on his self-esteem when he crawled back to them. Besides, did you know that you two were never to have lasted that long in the first place? By putting an untrained Slayer together with a reckless Watcher – at least in their eyes – in one of the most dangerous spots on earth, they figured you'd both be dead within months. Or that's what a mutual friend from the Council told me afterward."

"But instead of seeing your continued success as a testament to your brilliance as a team, they just increased their efforts to weaken your trust in each other. Hence the need for the test," he clarified.

"Which reminds me, I was a little surprised to learn this afternoon that they not only changed their name, but also that they would choose to rename themselves with the Sumerian word for 'hero'. How did that come about?" Ducky inquired before starting to gather the dirty dishes.

"Can you answer a question for me first? How did you know that I was with the Council, but didn't know what the correct name for it was?" she asked as she joined him in clearing the table.

"If one listens carefully enough, one hears rumors floating around the office about Jethro's team getting yet _another_ liaison. But this one was from some Council in England. I didn't automatically jump to the conclusion of _which_ Council until I heard your name," he finished with a smile.

"Okay. It was just something that was kind of confusing me," Buffy said, putting the dishes in the sink.

She sighed and began, "When we took over the Council last year, it was decided by all of the heads that the term 'Watchers' left a bad taste in _all_ our mouths, even Giles'. Besides, the name was practically a neon sign screaming, _'Here we are!'_ We wanted something meaningful to us, but less likely for others to recognize instantly. It also serves as a reminder of what _everyone_ working for the Council should strive for, not just the _Slayers_."

Ducky still looked befuddled. "How did you take over the Council? How can you be stationed away from an active demon community? Is there another Slayer or has the one from jail been rehabilitated?"

Buffy was stunned at his line of questioning. "Wow! When was the last time you spoke to Giles?"

He considered it for a moment before replying, "Well, I get little post card-type messages once in a while _now_, but I would guess the last informative communication was a few years ago. You were trying to keep something safe from someone who wanted to use it to end the world somehow. Since the world is still here, I reasoned that you were successful in that endeavor."

"I guess it would depend on your definition of 'success'," she told him with a wounded look. "We saved the world, sure. But it was at too great a cost to us. Part of the cost was losing what we were protecting. Once the threat was over, the 'item' just vanished; went back to where it came from…I don't know."

She took a slow, deep breath to try to regain her control. "And the last few years have been pretty tough to deal with for me. I know it has been for Giles and the others too. Can I just give you the highlights now and the rest later? Or you can get them from Giles?" she begged with a crack in her voice.

"Certainly, my dear. I'm so sorry to have upset you. Would you like to call it an evening?" Ducky offered, worried that he had caused her any pain.

Buffy gave him a weak smile. "Thanks, but no. I have to get used to dealing with it. A little more every day, ya' know? So here it is: the old Council was killed off by a big, Big Bad and to defeat it, we activated all the Slayers around the world. Faith was out to help us, but she's back in jail until we can get her formally released or pardoned. And now that I'm not the only Slayer around, I get to take assignments like this one."

Her face suddenly brightened, which lit the entire room "Oh! By the way, have you ever met a werewolf?" she asked with excitement.

He blinked a couple times to catch his bearings. "That is an abrupt change in topics! No, can't say that I have. Although, I suppose I might not be able to say that with absolute confidence, can I?"

"Probably not, unless you've seen them the three nights they're supposed to change."

"What do you mean, 'supposed to'? I didn't realize there was a way around that." He appeared astonished at that information.

She chuckled, "Well, in proving that it's a small world, the witness that Gibbs' team had to see this afternoon was an old friend of mine from Sunnydale, Oz."

Ducky got a expression of recognition on his face at the name. "Ah yes, the one who dated Willow Rosenberg, I believe."

"Good memory, doc. He went away during our freshman year of college to better understand his wolfy side. Turns out that with enough mental training, he can stop himself from shifting during the full moon. The flip side was that it also made it possible for him to shift if he lost _emotional_ control," she explained with a grimace.

Ducky seemed worried. "Oh dear, that _would_ be bad. So you say that he was in town today? Does that mean he's gotten a handle on it now?"

Buffy shrugged, but appeared unconcerned. "I don't know; we didn't get a chance to speak privately. Not with Gibbs and the others hovering around. I'm supposed to meet up with him later tonight. That way he can also give me the rundown on supernatural activity in the area."

The medical examiner ran through the causes of death he had seen lately, both in his own lab and in the papers. "Well, I haven't noticed a great deal of unusual occurrences – in your area of expertise, that is," he elaborated. Then her wording caught his attention. "So it's 'Gibbs' now and not 'Agent Gibbs'? Did he ask you to call him that? Because that is very unusual for Jethro to warm up to someone that quickly. You should feel honored."

She smirked. "He didn't have much of a choice. I knocked him on his ass for calling me 'Bunny'. Well, actually, I challenged him to a fight and if I won, he wouldn't call me that again _and_ he'd treat me with respect. I'm sure you can guess how that turned out."

Ducky tried to look reprovingly at her but found that he wished he had been there to witness it instead. "You didn't hurt the lad, did you? Although. that's rather peculiar that he would be insulting to you with no cause. He may not be very cordial to new people, but he's rarely blatantly _rude_. I wonder what could be wrong?" he wondered aloud, drifting off before another thought came to him. "That still doesn't explain why he would ask you to call him 'Gibbs' though. _Especially_ if he had been that hostile with you before. Curious…"

Now Buffy seemed interested. "I don't know if this had anything to do with his change of heart, but I was able to help them with Oz. He wasn't _trying_ to give them a hard time, but his short answers can be very discouraging if you can't read the rest of the way he answers."

She scowled momentarily at the memory of the Initiative and Sunnydale police. "Plus, none of us have had the greatest history with either the military or with law enforcement in the past and NCIS represents both of those things," she explained, hoping that Ducky wouldn't take it personally.

Then she smiled and announced, "But hey! I told him about you and he's interested in meeting someone from Giles' past that we don't have to automatically assume is an enemy. That doesn't happen often for us."

Ducky smiled back. "I look forward to it as well. Just let me know tomorrow, okay?" He glanced at his watch and noticed that it was getting late – at least for him. "Did you need a ride to where you are meeting Oz?"

"Normally I'd try to walk to get in a little patrolling, but since I don't know the area yet, I think I'll accept your offer. Thanks, Ducky. For that and for the wonderful evening. And also being there for Giles when he needed someone. I know that my life would have ended much sooner if one of those Council drones had been my Watcher in Sunnydale."

-----------------------------

A/N: Next…A walk on the wild side of DC.


	6. Chapter 5: A New Pack

**Chapter 5: A New Pack**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB

***A/N3: Just a warning…I'm deliberately leaving any conversations about the last two seasons of BtVS vague because I don't know how much I want to stick the canon of them.

Staying the same: Buffy was brought back; Sunnydale was destroyed in the fight with the First; the Potentials were activated; Buffy, Giles and Xander survived.

Changed: Dawn disappeared when the portal closed; Faith returned to prison until she can be released legally (although that isn't necessarily non-canon to the show itself).

Unsure: Who else may or may not have survived; any minor or major changes to canon – like, for instance, Xander did marry Anya. Or no Spuffy. Or Giles stayed…I just don't know yet.***

**Posted In Honor of the 10****th**** recommendation and 16000****th**** hit on TtH! **

**Now I'm guessing that by the numbers of Story Alerts and Story Favs that I've gotten on this site means that it's popular here, despite the lack of reviews (hint).**

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**Dingoes' Dance Den**

"Lot's happened, huh?" Oz said in his usual understated way. Inside his head was another story though. It was racing with everything Buffy had filled him in on since he left. Could things have turned out differently had he just stayed? Despite his problems with Tara?

In his own recollections of his time away, he learned it wasn't wholly just about Willow and Tara being together that made him leave. But Willow had been his first lover after becoming infected and on some level, his wolf claimed her as his mate. Then Veruca showed up and challenged the claim with her own wolf.

So he went away, desperate to learn more about his dual nature that he _had_ to come to terms with. When he came back, it was with the desire to re-join his pack…the Scoobies. And when Tara had replaced him, it wasn't just as Willow's lover – though that hurt a lot as well. But harder still was that she had assumed his spot in the pack and _that's_ what drove him away the second time.

Now that his Alpha was here…and alone, he started to hope that he could be part of a pack once more. More importantly, it would be with the one person who could understand his duality – because she had her _own_ to deal with.

He didn't care how many girls there were now that used the title 'Slayer', Buffy would always, _always_ be _The_ Slayer! Faith couldn't even unseat her in that respect and she was a Slayer of the natural progression, not of the magically-forced way.

Buffy's easy acceptance and genuine happiness at seeing him made him believe that she _would_ take him back. Both him and his wolf felt a sense of contentment in her presence that bordered on the painful in its intensity.

She must have sensed something because she captured his gaze and held it for a few minutes before bringing her forehead to his in an effort to indicate her ownership of him. _**'I am pack again,'**_ he thought with a relaxed sigh.

-----------------------------

Buffy wasn't entirely sure what all was running through Oz's mind, but she felt the loneliness and sense of being lost pouring out of her friend. Earlier, it had surprised her how much she had missed him when she saw him this afternoon. He had been Willow's boyfriend, but it kinda felt like he belonged to her in some way as well.

Since she didn't have this feeling of ownership with the others – besides Giles – she figured it had to do with his wolfy-ness. That's why it hurt her _personally_ when he left. Sure, she hurt for Willow's sake too, but it was mostly for herself. In some ways it was worse than losing Angel. Maybe Oz could explain it; she'd ask him later.

Buffy watched as the fear and indecision battled in Oz's eyes. He needed something…and he needed it from her. Suddenly it all became clear to her. He _did_ belong to her! He had been part of her pack and that's why it hurt when he left. And she was just as sure that he felt the same pain from their separation. So she did the only thing she could think of: she claimed her ownership of him as was her right as his Alpha.

The pleasure that showed on his face from her actions caused her to smile. But in true Oz-fashion, it only manifested as a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth. It became too much for her and she broke out laughing. That loosened him enough that he gave her an actual smile…for a whole two seconds.

Abruptly, they both tensed up. Buffy quickly scanned the room until she found the cause of their unease. A couple vamps who just came in were turning right around to follow their meal out: a Goth chick that was leaving with a couple friends.

"Be right back," she informed Oz.

Oz offered, "Need help?"

Buffy shrugged unconcerned, "Only if I'm not back in 5."

Oz nodded and watched her leave. Then he made his way to the door behind her. He wouldn't interfere, but he sure as hell wouldn't leave her alone either.

-----------------------------

The Goth chick's friends must have already left since it was just her and the two vamps in the alleyway. They were doing the usual 'menacing of the victim' routine.

Buffy just shook her head at the utter stupidity of some vampires. If they had just fed off her, they'd be done by now and safely on their way. Instead, they just _had_ to play with their 'food' in an attempt to make her more and more frightened.

The strange thing was, she didn't appear as scared as most people would be in her place. _Ohh_, she must be one of those who believe vampires are just misunderstood or something – like Ford and his band of idiots.

She looked closer at the girl; that didn't seem to be it either. She was scared, but she was equally curious about them. Like they were bugs she wanted to study under a microscope. That was almost just as bad of a possibility to Buffy. She bit back a laugh; the girl was actually asking them if they knew how their teeth grew at will!

Oh well, better make with the save-age first, then she could lecture the girl about how dangerous the situation was. Buffy grabbed the shoulder of the one bloodsucker leaning in for a bite and tossed him into the side of the dumpster 15 feet away.

As the other one snarled and moved to attack her, she let the stake slide down from where she had hidden it in her sleeve earlier. He only got two steps closer before the piece of sharpened wood imbedded itself in his chest, causing a shower of dust to fly up around them.

Then the first vamp had regained his bearings and his eyes widened in fear when he recognized her. "Slayer! You're not supposed to be here! You're in Rome with the Immortal!"

Buffy rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Oh please! Like I'd really stoop to dating a player like him? It's not even the parade of women in his life that is bothersome…much. It's the fact that he'd screw _anything_."

Before the vamp could make his escape, she pulled another stake out and rammed it into his heart and just as quickly pulled it back out. After all, this was 'Mr. Pointy'. She couldn't let him turn to dust like he was a _regular_ stake.

"That was wicked cool!" the Goth chick exclaimed, bending over what was left of the vampires and studying the dust. "Does that always happen when you stake vampires?"

The Slayer glared at her. "This isn't a game! It too dangerous to become fascinated in vampires. You might not be lucky enough next time that someone will come by that can help you."

She shrugged off the lecture before going back to looking at the ashes. "Oh, I get _that_. It's just that I've never seen a real vampire before; just people who pretend to be. I wonder if any of _them_ know that they're real?" she wondered out loud.

"So you _don't_ want to worship them or study them?" Buffy asked doubtfully.

Goth chick scoffed, "_Worship_? As if! Who'd want to worship something that drinks blood? That is right, isn't it? They _do_ drink blood?" Buffy just nodded.

Then she got a thoughtful look on her face as she considered the rest of the question. "As for studying them? I don't know, maybe…if it weren't so incredibly problematic. I think you'd have to be extra careful not to get too interested in them. I mean, I could see some arrogant or crazy person being deluded into thinking that they could create their own little killing force if they could find a way to control them."

Buffy muttered under her breath, "Where were you four years ago?"

"But could I maybe ask you a few questions? And maybe take some of their remains to study? Do they always collapse into such evenly structured ashes? " she asked hopefully. The girl reminded Buffy of a young Willow…who'd had a couple espressos or something. She was practically vibrating.

The blonde protector hesitated, then decided that if Goth chick wasn't going to deny what happened, it would be best if she knew enough to hopefully keep herself out of trouble in the future. "I'll answer _some_ questions – as long as you head home right afterward and don't try to repeat tonight!" Buffy warned.

"No problem. I just live a few blocks away," she answered with a wave of her hand in the general direction. Then she reached in her coat and took out a piece of paper to scoop up some of the remains to look at later

"Okay. Just let me tell my friend I'll be right back and I walk you home. We'll talk on the way," she said as she made her way to the mouth of the alley. She spoke as she approached the corner, "Hear that, Oz? I'm gonna walk Goth chick here home, but I'll be back in a few."

Oz nodded, "That's fine. I gotta get back to work anyway."

-----------------------------

The questions began immediately after they left the alley. "So that one vampire called you 'Slayer'. I'm guessing that it's not your real name, but more like your _superhero_ name, right?" She noticed Buffy's look of alarm. "Oh, don't worry, I won't ask what your secret identity is. Although…shouldn't you be wearing a disguise or something? I mean, Superman might have been great at the hero stuff, but his idea of a disguise really sucked."

Buffy chuckled at the girl; she really had the art of the Willow-babble down. She felt a small pang at the memories that threatened to surface and forced them away. "To be honest, you're kind of rare. Most people chose to rationalize away what they see. The old favorites are gangs on PCP, barbecue fork accidents or a trick of the light."

"Seriously? That's the best they can come up with? That's not even all that imaginative!" she replied derisively.

"They can't deal with the reality of it and so instead convincing themselves that they're crazy, they latch onto the easiest explanations offered. Speaking of which, you might want to keep this to yourself…Unless you want your friends and family to lock you up '…for your own good'," the Slayer warned

The raven-haired beauty shot her a look of compassion. "I guess you're speaking from personal experience? Doesn't matter anyway; half of my friends probably _already_ think I believe in vampires because of my unusual tastes. But back to my questions. What will work against vampires? In case I need to know."

Buffy stopped to stare at her. "You won't be making a habit of tonight, will you?"

She shook her head vehemently, "Course not! Despite my 'dark girl' look, I very much love life and don't want it to end anytime soon. Look, think of it like learning self defense; you don't want to use it, but you _do_ want to know it – just in case. "

That explanation made a lot of sense. "Okay, here's Vampires 101: most vamps will just suck you dry as a meal. But every once in a while, they'll want to sire someone. That is the process of turning a person into a vampire. How that happens is they drain you almost to death but before you can die, they feed you some of _their_ blood. Then in about 24 to 72 hours, the newborn vampire – or fledgling – will rise and the cycle of death and destruction will continue on."

"Now they will look and sound like the person they were before they died, they'll even have the same memories. But remember this if nothing else: it is not them! Their soul is gone and all that's left is the demon that killed them. So if, god forbid, this happens to someone you care about, don't hesitate to stake them," Buffy stated as adamantly as she could.

Goth girl nodded her understanding. "Is that the only way to get rid of them?" she questioned, mentally categorizing everything she was learning. Maybe she could learn something from the ashes that could make killing – was that the right word for it? – the vampires easier.

"Sunlight, decapitation, fire…those are the most effective – besides staking with a piece of wood into the heart. But once I did manage to kill one by tricking it into drinking holy water. Crosses will hurt most of them long enough for you to escape. Never saw garlic do anything other than making things smelly. Bullets will only hurt them and therefore piss them off royally."

"Are there ways of telling someone is a vampire? …Before it's too late, that is?" she inquired, not wanting to accidentally put herself in danger.

The Slayer smiled at the good questions this girl was asking. "They don't have a reflection or pulse. They're cold to the touch. They don't need to breathe but can mimic it. Sometimes they forget to update their choice in clothes from the time they were turned – but that isn't foolproof," she added as an afterthought.

She took a moment to think of one last question, "Do you have any other advice for me?"

"If you have to go out at night, be very careful and pay attention to your surroundings. Most importantly though, _never_ issue a direct verbal invitation to anyone to get into your house. Just step out of their way or invite them indirectly. Like, _'Couch is over there, guys.'_ Get it?" When the girl said yes, Buffy watched her go into her place and made her way back to the club.

-----------------------------

A/N: Next…Fighting and secrets abound at NCIS.


	7. Chapter 6: A New Mr Roper

**Chapter 6: A New Mr. Roper**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB.

**Posted In Honor of the 100****th**** review on TtH!**

-----------------------------

**NCIS**

Buffy was about to enter the NCIS bullpen when she heard Ducky call out to her.

"Buffy! If I may have a moment of your time…_privately_?" he implored.

She gave him a bright smile. "Anytime, Ducky," she answered sweetly.

He held out a brown paper bag to her. "You left this at my place last night. I thought you might like it back."

She peeked in and saw her bottle of holy water, along with a cross from Giles that she had shown him the night before. "Oh thank you, Ducky! Ya' know, for being discreet about this. It's not exactly something that I want everyone to find out about me just one day after meeting me.…Not that I'm ashamed of it, mind you!" she quickly added, in case he misunderstood.

Ducky put his hand on her shoulder to reassure her. "I understand, dear girl. There are those that would wonder about such a lifestyle. But you should know this…_nothing_ makes me feel better than knowing you're taking care of…_things_," he finished vaguely.

Buffy gave him a brief hug. "And that's why you are one of the greatest guys I've ever met! Speaking of which, have I thanked you properly for last night? I haven't enjoyed myself like that forever!"

He looked surprised by that. "Really? I was under the impression that there were some rather unpleasant memories brought up during our time together."

"No. Like I told you then, I have to learn to get past the past. If I can't, then what good am I going to be? Your gentleness was just what I needed. No wonder Giles wanted me to meet you. _You_ are a godsend." She suddenly giggled.

"What's so amusing?" Ducky inquired of the petite blonde.

"I called you a 'godsend'. See, shortly after I met Giles, we had this…_encounter_ and when I recovered enough, I called him a god. And he _sent_ me to you. Get it? God…send?"

"He warned me about your witticism," he replied with a smile, which caused her to pout. "As well as that lethal pout of yours that will melt the coldest of hearts. So I beg of you to spare this old man and desist immediately," he pleaded with her sense of decency.

Buffy held it for a few seconds more before smiling at him. "You're not that old – at least in spirit. Besides, how will I convince you for a repeat of last night if I don't use my best weapon?"

Ducky's eyes flashed with amusement. "You little vixen, you don't need to resort to such tactics. You already have me wrapped around that pretty little finger of yours."

"So does that mean you'd be up for a threesome tonight? I spoke to Oz and he's dying to get together with you. He couldn't believe everything I told him about last night and thinks I must be exaggerating," she explained.

"Well, as long as things go smoothly today, I would be delighted to meet your young friend. He sounds intriguing to me as well."

Buffy started again to make her way toward the bullpen when she noticed someone eavesdropping on their conversation. She quietly took a piece of paper and a pen from Ducky and wrote him a note while continuing to babble to him.

He took it from her, read it and coughed to cover a chuckle that threatened to escape. He nodded, indicating he'd follow her lead in the matter. He had a decidedly wicked grin on his face.

She grabbed his arm and secured her own firmly in it as they both walked into the bullpen in view of the other agents. "Thanks again, Ducky! You are a true gentleman," she announced, then kissed him on the cheek.

Ducky answered her in a similarly charming fashion, "For you, my dear, it is my undeniable pleasure. Do try to come see me today if you get the chance. My morgue is always open for you."

"Count on it, handsome," she said coyly, then winked as he made his way back to the elevators. She found the desk that Director Shepard had assigned her the day before and locked the paper bag in one of the drawers. Then she made her way over to the coffee, greeting the rest of the team on her way.

Ziva and McGee looked up from their work and greeted her, a little confused at the conversation they heard. But this was Ducky after all; it couldn't mean anything like it sounded.

Just then Gibbs walked in past Tony, smacking him on the back of the head to break him out of his stupor. He was standing near the entryway, gaping like a fish out of water. "What's the problem, DiNozzo?" he demanded.

Tony stood there, stuttering and pointing between Buffy and the elevators, "She-- and-- Du--"

Gibbs turned to the UC liaison and asked, "Do you know what he's going on about, Buffy?"

She just shrugged, "Sorry Gibbs. Haven't the foggiest. Ducky walked me in, but I don't see why that would cause Agent DiNozzo to break down – unless he doesn't recognize old world manners. Maybe we should postpone today's plans until he's better," she suggested.

He dismissed the idea, "Nah. Might be just what he needs to snap him out of it."

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A/N1: Sorry to end it there but this was just a quickie (wink) that came to mind to celebrate the 100th review last night. Hope you understand the Mr. Roper reference – otherwise, I'm getting _way _too old. Tony would get it (smirk).

A/N2: Next…Back to our regularly scheduled program.


	8. Chapter 7: A New POV

**Chapter 7: A New Point of View**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB.

**Posted In Honor of the 22000****th**** hit and over 640 people tracking on TtH!**

-----------------------------

_Previously…_

"… Maybe we should postpone today's plans until he's better," she suggested.

He dismissed the idea, "Nah. Might be just what he needs to snap him out of it."

-----------------------------

**NCIS**

Ziva looked up, interested. "_What_ might snap Tony out of it, Boss?"

"Well, Miss Summers here _claims_ to have been trained in hand to hand combat and believes that she can beat anyone in the office," Gibbs replied with a very well-hidden gleam at what would happen to his two cockiest agents at the hands of this tiny, little blonde.

Buffy shot him a fake pout. "I didn't say that _exactly_. I merely said that I could knock _you_ on your ass. But I suppose that if you're the best around here, then that means I _could_ beat anyone else."

"And Tony got volunteered for this…why?" the Mossad agent inquired, sort of hurt that she wasn't given the opportunity to take on the smug woman.

Gibbs answered with a shrug. "Besides you and me, he has the most experience with fighting. So I figured she should prove herself before having to deal with someone tough."

Tony had finally woken up from his stupor enough to ask, "Then shouldn't she start with Probie?"

"Uh, Boss? If she's an advanced fighter, it would be a waste of her time to bother with me. You know, since I haven't gotten very far past basic level stuff," McGee quickly added, remembering his past experience with Kate Todd and how he thought his now obviously pathetic skills could match her Secret Service training. No way was that going to happen again!

Trying to goad Tony, Buffy spoke up with extra California blonde in her voice, "What's the matter, Agent DiNozzo? Afraid to get your clock cleaned by a _girl_? 'Cause if you are, I could always just spar with Ziva. You were only supposed to be my warm-up – with her as the main event."

"Then once I've finished with the two of you, I get to take on the big guy there," she finished, pointing to Gibbs, who was fighting a smile. She went on relentlessly, "Tell you what, why don't we make this interesting?" Buffy thought about what could be a sufficiently humiliating – without going overboard – wager. "Hmmm, loser has to buy lunch…for the _team_--"

McGee quickly got the hint and added, "…for a week." He looked at Buffy, hoping that he didn't screw things up with her plan.

But she just smiled and nodded, "A week sounds good to me. That okay with you, big guy?"

Gibbs glared at her for using the nickname _again_, but only said, "Fine by me. Shall we get this show on the road? By the way, I invited Director Shepard to observe the match. Even though you aren't technically _part_ of NCIS, she'd like to evaluate your skills in case you have to back us up out in the field."

Her eyes shot open as she remembered something. "Ooo, that reminds me! Ducky wanted to watch too! He was my instructor's mentor and if I know Giles, he's probably bragged about me. Ducky wants to see if it's true or not."

Tony looked worried, misunderstanding her meaning. "_Ducky_ was your instructor's mentor? I really think she should fight Probie, Boss."

Gibbs was unsure how she meant it himself but then again, he already knew her skill level. "Too bad, she's fighting you. Have Ducky meet us at the gym next door," he ordered Buffy as he made his way up the stairs.

-----------------------------

**Director Shepard's Office**

Gibbs poked his head in Shepard's office, announcing, "We're heading to the gym for DiNozzo and Summers' fight."

Jenny narrowed her eyes at him. "Did you warn him that she beat _you_ yesterday?"

He snorted, "Course not! But to make it more interesting, she challenged him by saying the loser had to buy lunch for the team. McGee surprised me by adding it should be for a week. Either he knows something or he trusts her confidence level. But DiNozzo tried to call it off again when she said that Ducky was her instructor's mentor and that he wanted to see if the reports he'd gotten were accurate or not. So she wanted to invite him to watch."

"As in 'fighting' mentor?" she asked, curious about her medical examiner's history all of a sudden.

Gibbs shrugged, "No clue. If he is though, that would be damn impressive and I will have to have a talk with him."

"Well, let's not make them wait any longer. Do you think Abby would like to come along?" she inquired as she stood from her desk and made her way over.

"I'll go down and check with her. See you over there in a few," he called out, walking to the elevators.

-----------------------------

**NCIS Gym**

The NCIS crew watched as Buffy chose to warm up using Tai Chi. Those who didn't recognize it were filled in by Ducky. Her slow, methodical movements were a sharp contrast to the bouncing and neck-rolling that Tony was doing. It was as if he was warming up and she was cooling down.

Jenny looked over as she saw Gibbs walk up. "Where's Abby?"

"She couldn't make it. Said she couldn't sleep last night and was busy analyzing something. But she said she'd watch on the live feed. Record it even…if we wanted," he added with a smirk, indicating that she was indeed doing just that.

"What was she analyzing? For which case?" Ducky asked. Abby was very dear to him and if she needed assistance, he'd be glad to help her out if he could.

Gibbs shook his head in confusion, "Couldn't tell. We haven't had any burn cases, but I could have sworn it looked like ashes of some kind." Ducky's eyes widened slightly, though nobody noticed. Surely it was only because of talking to Buffy last night that this made him think of vampires.

"Knowing her though, she probably stumbled across something that piqued her interest and decided to make a study out of it for future use," Gibbs went on, oblivious to Ducky's internal alarm.

"Most likely," Ducky absently replied. He had bad feeling about this, but it would have to wait until later before he could deal with it. With Abby, it really shouldn't come as a shock that it _could_ be what he was thinking. It was the timing that was worrisome.

Gibbs called out to the two on the mats. "Are you ready to go? We don't have all day, you know!"

Buffy smiled at Tony, but it wasn't as warm as one would hope. At least he didn't know her well enough to be _truly_ worried. "Anytime you are, Agent DiNozzo."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tony nodded and moved toward her. When he got close enough, he threw the first punch – albeit with only about half his strength. She deflected it easily and used his momentum to roll him over her so he was behind her, flat on his back. His eyes widened in shock as he considered where his first mistake had been. He allowed his libido to do his thinking for him…yet again, and now it was coming back to bite him in the ass.

It didn't even help that Ziva seemed unaware of the new liaison's skills. And he _was_ sure that Ziva was unaware because if she knew about Buffy Summers and had been part of a set up to make him look stupid, she'd have a evil little grin on her face right now. Instead, she looked almost insulted that she hadn't gotten first chance to fight her.

A small cough from his opponent jolted him out of his thoughts. She had this knowing smirk on her face and he suddenly hoped that the team would have mercy when it came to choosing lunch for the next week. Beyond that, he wished that he could make a good enough showing not to appear like a complete ass.

'_**Oh well, might as well get it over with.'**_ When he finished that thought, he made his next attack; this one more deliberate and – hopefully – less likely to leave him as vulnerable as the last one did.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy studied the changes in her sparring partner's demeanor. He no longer _only_ looked at her as if trying to figure out the fastest way to remove her clothes. There was still a hint of it there, but now it was surpassed by the concern of getting in over his head in this match.

She quickly ran through the team dynamics in her head, remembering especially what Ducky and Gibbs had said – and _not_ said – about the guy. While she still didn't like the way he treated McGee, she hoped it was more of an 'older brother tormenting a younger one' kind of thing, rather than a malicious one. But if it proved to be the latter, she could always hurt him for it in the future. For now though, she'd help him maintain the _slightest_ bit of his dignity.

With that in mind, she began fighting with him as though he were one of the new Watchers that she occasionally helped train. That meant she pulled her punches, but not all the way. But she wouldn't let him land a hit if she could help it – and she _could_.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gibbs stood there, a little surprised, but mostly impressed with the small blonde. He could tell by her earlier comments that she was less than awed by Tony's charm. Chances were that he'd tried to hit on her in a less than subtle fashion and only succeeded in annoying her. Her refusal to call him Tony despite his repeated requests attested to that. He had half expected her to threaten his manhood during this match…just a bit.

However, now she was protecting his ego. Gibbs knew from his own experience with her yesterday that this match should already be over. But she was dragging the fight out, studying the agent's style – as if to memorize it – and did the bare minimum to counter it.

A closer look at Tony's face might explain her change in attitude since it revealed a change of its own. His eyes reflected respect for the young woman that he rarely gave _any_ female – especially one he just met. Only went to show that he really _did_ need the sense to be knocked into him. It also proved that Buffy didn't hold onto a first impression forever, which he liked – as long as it was decided intelligently.

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

Ziva felt uneasy about this match-on*. Somehow she felt jealous. But she wasn't sure of what. She knew just by watching Summers' warm-up that she was probably as good as she claimed to be. Or at least close to it. For that reason, _she_ should be out there, sparring with the UC liaison.

The other alternative bothered her for reasons she didn't want to consider consciously. She saw the arrogant way Tony threw his first punch and the ease with which it was used against him. But when he made his next attempt, it was entirely more respectful of his opponent and her abilities.

Ziva _still_ had trouble with Tony giving her the respect she deserved. Yet this woman gets it within two days of meeting him. It just wasn't right!

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

McGee couldn't help but gloat inwardly. Even if the fight was still going on, it was clear even to him who the victor would be. Oddly enough, it didn't bother him that the one to knock Tony down a few pegs was a tiny, 5'3" slip of a girl…-ish woman, he hastily amended – afraid that she might be able to sense his thoughts and be offended.

He liked to make believe that Tony did respect him on _some_ level, but it was hard sometimes. And he knew that in any way that it might matter to the older agent, he was unlikely to best him at anything. Maybe Buffy Summers would be willing to teach him enough to help him improve his chances in a fight. Hopefully it wouldn't hurt to ask.

~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~

Ducky watched with amusement as the petite Slayer toyed with her prey. Oh, that wasn't an entirely accurate description of what she was doing, but it was in there…he could see it because he knew what her nature truly was. He hoped that Jethro recognized that she was letting the young agent maintain his pride by not beating him within the first 5 seconds.

Knowing how it would turn out, he allowed his mind to drift back to his conversation with Rupert late last night, shortly after Buffy had left. He could have waited until this morning to call – and part of his sleep-deprived brain wished he had – but he wanted to learn what he could before seeing her again. Something about the way she avoided talking about the past couple years concerned him.

Apparently with good reason. The 'item' they lost in that big battle a few years back was her own sister! Ducky knew from past letters that Buffy was an only child. And more importantly, so did _she_. But despite that, she loved this 'Dawn' girl as if they _had_ been sisters for 14 years and refused to sacrifice her, even at the cost of her own life.

How awful it must have been for her to die to save her sister, only to learn it didn't help after all. But somehow, he doubted it would have made a difference to her if she had been told that – no, even _known_ that – Dawn would cease to exist beforehand. If she hadn't _tried_ to save her anyway, the guilt of 'What if…?' would have driven her crazy for the rest of her life.

If that wasn't bad enough, what happened after--

_SLAM!!!_

The door burst open, startling everyone in the room – even Buffy. Although, in her case, it was the _person_, not the action, that drew her attention. She shook her head furiously – but with very small movements – hoping that said person would understand and not out her in front of everyone.

Gibbs looked at the dark lab tech in amused confusion. She was certainly excited about something. "Abbs, what are you doing here? I thought you had things keeping you busy in your lab and couldn't make it?"

-----------------------------

A/N1: *Ziva-ism.

A/N2: Next…A Goth, an M.E. and a Slayer walk into a lab…then lock the door.


	9. Chapter 8: A New Friend

**Chapter 8: A New Friend**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB.

**Posted In Honor of the 7****th**** story fav, 24****th**** story alert, ****and 2000****th**** hit on ! Just wish there were more than 6 reviews (pout). **

-----------------------------

_Previously…_

Gibbs looked at the dark lab tech in amused confusion. She was certainly excited about something. "Abbs, what are you doing here? I thought you had things keeping you busy in your lab and couldn't make it?"

-----------------------------

**NCIS Gym**

Abby looked around at everyone and noticed the 'deer in the headlights' look that the Slayer was shooting her. She'd have to try to cover her tracks here. "Hey Gibbs! Uh, yeah…but I had some time to kill so I thought I'd swing by to check out the excitement," she tried lamely.

He just raised eyebrow at her excuse, but decided to let it go for now. "Let's let them finish up their match then we can introduce you to the new liaison."

Buffy was nervous about the hyper Goth chick and what she might let slip out if she was left alone too long, so she hurriedly ended her fight with DiNozzo – without hurting him badly, that is. Then she made her way over to Ducky's side. Putting her hand on his back so it was out of sight of the others, she was busy poking him gently – so she wouldn't cause him to wince and make things even worse – to get him to understand her anxiety. "Ducky! Is this young lady lucky enough to work with you?"

Now Gibbs gave _her_ a weird look. Something was going on here and it had something to do with these two young women. "Abby Sciuto works in the forensics lab, analyzing evidence for us. But it does cross paths with Ducky on occasion, I suppose. Abby, this is Buffy Summers, the new liaison from the UC in England."

All of her previous efforts were wasted and Abby lost whatever grip she had on her excitement. She reached over and grabbed Buffy's hand and started pulling her away from the group. "Oh cool! Maybe I can show her my lab…you know, like _now_? She looks like she'd be interested in that kind of thing. Aren't you, Miss Summers?"

Buffy was doing her best not grit her teeth or give away any other indication that she was unnerved. "It's Buffy, but yeah, that sounds great. Would you mind if Ducky joined us? He's a friend of a friend and so far he's shown a surprising ability to explain things so I can understand them."

"If you're sure?" the brunette caffeine addict questioned. There was something strange and Ducky was involved? That was different. But she shrugged and the trio made their way out, barely sparing the time to say goodbye to the others.

-----------------------------

Tony looked at the gym door in utter bewilderment. "What the heck was that about, Boss?"

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out," Gibbs promised like a hound that had caught a scent.

Jenny recognized the look and figured she'd better remind them that the workday had just begun and they had work to do. "It can wait. You still have that case to finish up. Unless you think a drug-related homicide should take a backseat to the personal interactions of people in this office."

Gibbs glared at her before ordering his team back to work. It didn't matter; they'd have enough excuses go down to the lab for updates on evidence. Maybe they'd get a hint of what was happening between their forensic geniuses and the new liaison during one of those visits.

-----------------------------

**Abby's Lab**

Abby locked the door as the three of them made their way into her private realm. She was unable to contain herself any longer "So does Ducky know? About last night I mean?"

Buffy was torn between being upset with the hyper woman and being amused at her 'child on Christmas morning with a roomful of presents' excitement that she exuded. "Not specifically what happened last night, but he does know about vampires." She shot him an apologetic look.

"So am I to guess that the substance Jethro saw you analyzing earlier _was_ vampire ash?" Ducky inquired.

Her eyes about shot out of her head as she began to relay her discovery, "Yeah! It's amazing! _Cremations_ couldn't get that level of uniformity! Ducky, have you studied the ashes before?"

He chuckled and threw a smile at the young blonde, hoping to express his support despite the trying circumstances. "No, I can't say that I have. But seeing as we have undoubtedly sparked the curiosity of the others, perhaps we should speed this talk along? Starting with how you two became acquainted."

The Slayer shrugged and sat on a stool as she began her tale, "You know, same old story. Girl meets vamps; girl asks vamps about their fangs; vamps try to snack on girl; second girl turns them into dust; first girl demands Vamp 101 from second girl. Then as an added bonus, it turns out they work together with a bunch of investigators that – I'm just guessing here – aren't going to let this morning's outburst go unchecked!" she finished with a hint of exasperation.

It finally sunk in how poorly she handled things so Abby attempted an apology, "Oops. Sorry. It's just when I saw you on the monitor fighting with Tony, it blew my mind that _you_ were the new person."

"Wait, what? You were watching us?" Buffy demanded, shocked that she'd been observed on camera fighting. Then she let out a nervous sigh when she remembered that she hadn't been fighting extra-humanly this time. But it did remind her that she'd have to be careful in the future around here.

"Yeah. Gibbs came to invite me to watch in person, but I told him I was busy here in the lab. He seemed disappointed that he couldn't talk me into going, so I promised that I'd watch on the live feed…and tape it for later. By the way, why did you go so easy on Tony?" she asked the question that had been bothering her since first watching the match.

Buffy smiled kindly at her, deciding that she just couldn't help herself. "First, because he's human. I'm really not supposed to hurt humans on purpose. But more importantly in _his_ case, he looked like he'd learned a lesson about only seeing me as a sex object. That made me consider what everyone else here had said about him and while he may be a world class pig, he must also be a pretty decent agent to be on this team. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not sure I like him, but for the time being, I'll give him a chance."

Ducky looked very pleased with her and his next words confirmed that sentiment, "That's very sound reasoning, Buffy. No wonder Rupert thinks so highly of you. Keep it up and I'll wager that it won't be long until Jethro does as well."

Suddenly there was the sound of someone walking face first into the door to the lab. Then urgent knocking. The three of them shared a bemused look before Abby went to open it up. Sure enough, it was one of the agents 'supposedly' looking for an update on some analysis that Abby had been doing. She handed it to them and shoved them back out the door, locking it behind them.

-----------------------------

Buffy ran her hands through her blonde tresses as she tried to work out her concern. "Speaking of the big guy, we'd better come up with a good cover story for this morning…unless you think that NCIS is ready to learn about the monsters that haunt people's nightmares."

When they shook their heads, she got an idea. "Well, how about the obvious? Abby, you said that you were watching the match and were impressed with how I was able to take Agent DiNozzo out so quickly? So how about you decided to run over so you could meet me?"

"And the reason she practically abducted you afterward? As well as why I joined you two?" Ducky pointed out a couple flaws in her explanation.

She only chuckled, "Well, we could always give everyone a heart attack and say it was an early morning threesome to tide us over until tonight, Ducky."

Abby about choked and demanded, "What did I miss?"

"Mr. DiNozzo chose to eavesdrop on a private conversation we had this morning and based on his expression, he came to a much different conclusion as to the content of that discussion," Ducky explained with a mock look of disapproval towards Buffy.

But she refused to be sorry about it. "Hey! It's his own fault for listening in and for having such a dirty mind!" Then she grinned naughtily, "Although, when you think about it, a lot of the things we said to each other could have been provocative given the right context. The fact that I used the term 'threesome' for example--"

Now with her eyes so wide that it looked almost cartoonish, Abby gasped out, "You and Ducky with a threesome?!?"

Remembering his fear the night before when he thought Buffy believed he was truly making a pass at her, he hastily clarified, "In a purely innocent context, I assure you, Abigail. If I were to attempt anything untoward, either Rupert or Buffy herself would tear me to shreds."

Buffy brushed off his concerns with a sweet smile in his direction. "Only if it was unwanted _and_ persistent. At least on _my_ part. But don't worry, Giles loves you too much not to let you have a chance to defend your actions first before letting his inner Ripper loose."

And again the group was interrupted by the sound of someone walking into the door.

"Do people around here not watch where they are going?" Buffy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, normally my door is open and unlocked," Abby explained as she went over to let the next agent in. She took care of their request while Buffy and Ducky sat in the background and spoke quietly as they watched her work.

-----------------------------

Within a few minutes she had finished up and sent the agent away, locking the door yet again to provide them privacy. Then she turned back to the others and asked, "So is this Rupert and Giles the same guy? What? Is he like your dad or boyfriend or something?"

"Ducky, if I tell her, can she keep it a secret from the others?" Buffy asked him seriously.

Ducky walked over and put his hands on the forensic specialist's shoulders "Abigail, it is very important that this remain quiet. Can you promise us that you'll keep this to yourself – even from Jethro?"

Abby thought for a minute, biting her lip then answered truthfully, "As long as it is private and not work-related…sure."

Looking at the clock, Buffy made her decision. "You'd better get back to your morgue, Ducky. Hopefully it'll keep the vultures away a bit longer. We know where to find you if we need more explanations. Want to get together for lunch?"

"Absolutely, my dear. And let me know about this evening with that friend of yours. I'll see you two lovely ladies later," he promised on his way out the door, making sure to shut it behind him.

"Quite the charmer, isn't he?" Buffy wondered aloud.

Abby agreed, walking over to lock the door again, "If it weren't for the differences in our music tastes, he'd actually be a pretty good catch. …Opera," she explained at the other woman's blank look.

Buffy understood and nodded, "Got it. Okay, you were asking about Giles. He sort of defies description. First, you'll need some more Slayer background--"

They were interrupted by someone trying to get in…again. This time the girls bit back a laugh as Ducky's assistant made his way in, searching for his boss. Abby informed him that Ducky was back at the morgue, waiting for him.

-----------------------------

After he left, Buffy continued her explanation, "A massively long time ago, these arrogant SOBs decided to make a hero to save their asses from the demons, so they created the First Slayer."

"That doesn't sound too bad," Abby argued.

"But they did it by chaining a girl against her will and forcing the essence of a demon into her using magick. This made her strong enough to fight the vampires and demons," Buffy pointed out with a hint of anger, but not directed at her new friend.

With a horrified expression, Abby declared, "I take it back; it _does_ sound bad. Very, _very_ bad!" She looked like she wanted to track the people responsible and deliver them to Ducky's morgue, whether they were dead or not.

Buffy nodded her head in understanding and went on, "Yeah well, it doesn't get any better. She was stronger, but she was alone. With the odds seriously not in her favor, it didn't take long for the sheer number of demons to overwhelm her and she died at a very young age. Her death caused the newly-created Slayer spirit to pass onto the next young girl. This began the never-ending cycle of violence and death that has lasted for centuries upon centuries."

"How old were they?" Abby whispered in an unusually subdued manner for her. Well, unusual for Buffy's own experiences with the young lady who could make coffee jittery.

"Usually within the range of 13-16 when first Called. Although there have been cases as early as 11 and one or two as late as 19. As far as we can tell, it is tied to puberty and the girl's first period that determines whether she'll remain a Potential or if she'll be a Slayer." When she saw the question in Abby's eyes, she clarified, "In the past, for any given Slayer, there were dozens of girls who had the potential to become a Slayer in the event of the previous one's death," she said with an odd mixture of rote and grief in her voice.

Abby was afraid to ask but knew she had to, "And you?"

Buffy sat back down and indicated that Abby should as well. "I was Called shortly after my 15th birthday. Which brings us to the next part in our story. Now since the girls had a very short lifespan once Called, they needed someone who could train and teach them about their 'sacred duty'. These people were called Watchers. For the most part, they were self-important, arrogant bastards _and_ bitches who thought it was their right to control the Slayer as a weapon in _their_ war against the darkness."

"At least that had been _my_ experience with most of them. But I'm biased by several less than pleasant encounters with a number of them. On the other hand, I've also been lucky enough to know a few good ones, like Merrick and Giles. And even Wesley grew into a decent guy to have in a fight…once he stopped listening to the Council," she allowed with rueful smile.

She went on with tears glistening in her eyes, "Merrick was my first Watcher and died to save my life. Giles took over for him and he was the only one of the three that I really connected with. When he took my side in a Council test, they sent Wesley to get between us. We treated him pretty bad, but he actually came through for us in an important battle."

"When I formally told the Council where they could stick it, Wesley left them as well. Or was fired, I'm not sure which. But however it happened, it sounds like it helped him to learn to stand on his own feet and turned him into someone that some friends told me they were proud to have him watching their backs in LA. I'm not sure what's going on with them all lately. We've had some disagreements on some issues the past few months," she finished as yet another person slammed into the lab door.

This continued on for the rest of the morning. It got to the point that Buffy and Abby started to bet who would be the next one to show up and how long between visits it would be. Oddly enough, the only one _not_ to show up was Gibbs. Even Director Shepard stuck her head momentarily.

To try to avoid unnecessary suspicion, Abby went back to work and just listened as Buffy gave her the edited history of her life as a Slayer. What she didn't do, however, was explain what her relationship with this Rupert Giles guy was. Looked like Abby had her _own_ detective work to do to find that out.

-----------------------------

A/N: Next…Someone else has a 'Ripper' side.


	10. Chapter 9: A New Ripper

**Chapter 9: A New Ripper**

Warning: Definitely some language in this chapter.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB.

**Posted In Honor of the 40 more reader trackings, another recommendation, almost 20 more reviews and over 5000 more hits on TtH! You all are driving me crazy here! **

-----------------------------

**NCIS Morgue**

Ducky just returned from his lunch with Buffy, stifling the laughter that threatened to erupt as he recalled how she told him of the steady stream of visitors she and Abby had received that morning. What confused him though, was that Jethro didn't drop in on him _or_ the girls. Even the Director had succumb to her curiosity and poked her head in.

As if his thoughts summoned him – which Ducky knew was entirely possible given the supernatural world – Jethro stormed into the morgue at precisely that moment. He almost literally threw Jimmy Palmer out, then proceeded to bar the door against intruders. Ducky was going to have quite the reputation if this kept up.

"Buffy Summers!" the younger man barked. "Tell me what you know about her! _Now_!" he screamed when Ducky didn't answer right away.

The reason he didn't answer was because he was thinking about it. He was tempted to acquiesce to the demand because the only time Jethro got this agitated was when it was truly important. And in normal circumstances he would have. But this wasn't just anyone that Jethro was demanding information about, this was Buffy, the oldest living Slayer. Ducky would need one hell of a reason to say anything that might betray her trust…if even then.

"Why do you ask?" he hedged.

"Ducky!" Gibbs threatened, taking a step toward the man.

"Unless you give me a good reason, I _will_ not betray her," Ducky retorted, not backing down in the face of the famous 'Gibbs-Glare'.

"I was told this morning that someone had information that I _had_ to know about Miss Summers. I just got back from that meeting and now I want to know what you know about her. Now, Ducky!!!" he ordered as commandingly as he could manage.

Gibbs was unprepared for the sudden flash in Ducky's eyes or the anger radiating off the older man and stepped back.

"Who?" Ducky demanded in return. "_Who_ talked to you about Buffy? What did they tell you?"

"Just a government source--" he started to say vaguely.

But the usually sedate man cut him off, the fury almost tangible in the room now. "Dammit, Agent Gibbs! _What_ did they say about her? Are they planning on coming after her again? What's this source's name?"

Gibbs briefly wondered if this was what it felt like when _he_ intimidated people. Damn! No wonder they were scared of him. "It was Fornell. He told me that Buffy Summers isn't who she said she is," he offered, uncharacteristically meekly of him.

Ducky muttered various curses and threats under his breath as he walked over to his cell phone. He scrolled through the names before he found the one he was looking for and made his call. Then he paced impatiently, waiting for the other person to pick up – all the while ignoring Gibbs' efforts to get his attention.

"Rupert, we have a serious problem here." *pause* "A high ranking agent in the FBI is stirring up noise about Buffy. Saying that she isn't who she claims to be," he leaned on the table as he listened to the other man's response.

Gibbs couldn't believe that Ducky was sharing this with the head of the group that Summers came from. He made an attempt to grab the phone from Ducky, but hurriedly stopped at the look in his eyes…_and_ the scalpel in his hand.

Ducky nodded as if the man on the other end could see him. "Okay. Just a second." He looked at Gibbs. "What did Fornell want with Buffy, Agent Gibbs?" he questioned as if he were talking to a suspect. Or at the very least, a hostile ally.

Gibbs blinked in astonishment at the coldness in Ducky's voice – not to mention that he'd called him 'Agent Gibbs' for the _second_ time in this conversation. Something was up and it went beyond what Fornell told him. "He said that she's my daughter," he finally admitted.

The medical examiner blinked in surprise and just as quickly as it appeared, the anger melted away – at least that which was focused at Gibbs himself. "I never knew you had a daughter." He turned back to the phone. "Yes, hold on, Rupert. It may not be that after all."

Setting aside his burning desire to know what they were referring to for the moment, Gibbs briefly explained how 20 years ago his wife and daughter had died while he was deployed. Or so he had been told. Turned out that his wife chose to go into the Witness Protection Program and they disappeared.

When Fornell learned that NCIS was getting another liaison, he took the liberty to do a background on her because of all the recent trouble they'd been having with some of their people. He saw there was a WPP flag and looked into it. "He claims she's my daughter, Kelly," Gibbs finished with a despondent look, remembering the pain he went through all those years ago..

Ducky dropped the scalpel while Gibbs was speaking and sat down with a thud. Rupert's insistent murmurs broke him out of his trance. "Uhh, Rupert, is there any way to check if the Council knew if Buffy Summers is her real name or not? Jethro Gibbs said the FBI agent told him she is his daughter." *pause* "Leroy Jethro Gibbs and-- What was your wife's name?"

Gibbs found himself answering against his better judgment, "Shannon Anne."

"His wife's name was Shannon Anne. Daughter's name was Kelly…" he looked questioningly at the shocked man.

"Elizabeth," he whispered.

"Elizabeth," he repeated into the phone. "It was about 20 years ago, which would have made her three or four at the time." *pause* "Well, I _could_ do a DNA test, but she'd wonder why. Do you want me to tell her?" *pause* "Okay. You check what you can and please get back to me as soon as you can." *pause* "I will when I see her. Hurry, please!" He hung the phone up and turned around.

Gibbs just stared at his friend. "What the hell is going on, Ducky? And why were you threatening me with a scalpel?" he asked, still stunned at that particular development.

Ducky felt sorry for him, but knew where his loyalties had to lie in this situation. "So sorry about that Jethro, but Buffy is a very special young woman and I won't sit idly by as _anyone_ tries to cause her harm or pain."

"You just met her yesterday!" he said incredulously.

"But I've known _of_ her for several years. Before you ask, I won't talk too much about what I know until we determine if you're truly her father and that this isn't a hoax by the FBI to get someone close to her," he explained as if that were _actually_ a concern of theirs.

Gibbs shook his head in confusion. "Why would they? How could she be that important to them?"

"I'm sorry Jethro, but I can't tell you. And I'm asking you – as a favor to me – to leave it until we learn something. Just know that it isn't a threat to our work or the country," Ducky promised sincerely.

"Can't you at least think up an excuse to test her DNA and find out if she's my daughter or not?" Gibbs asked, hating the plaintive tone in his voice, but needing to know something.

Ducky just shook his head, "And what? Have Abby discover what _we_ do? The only equipment we have is in her lab."

"Dammit! I need to know! And if she _is_ Kelly, where is Shannon?" he wondered aloud.

The older man winced at the hope in his voice, knowing that he'd likely be dashing it with what he had to say. "Well, I do know that _Buffy's_ mother, Joyce, died of an aneurysm three years ago. She was recovering from brain surgery and Buffy came home to find her body on the couch."

"Do you know if Buffy has a picture of her mom?" he thought suddenly.

He shook his head again, "Sadly, I don't think so. They barely made it out of Sunnydale with the clothes on their backs."

That caught Gibbs' attention. "Sunnydale California? The entire town that collapsed a year ago? I thought the town evacuated a few days before it happened."

"Most of it. Buffy and some others were making sure that everyone else got out safely and almost paid for it with their lives," Ducky explained, starting to feel uncomfortable with how much he was sharing, but not seeing how to get out of the conversation.

"I don't get it. Did she work for FEMA or the Red Cross or something?" Gibbs inquired.

He hesitated, knowing that he was really pushing the boundaries now. "No. It was a private group. She'd lived there since midway through her sophomore year of high school and she felt an obligation to protect the people there."

Gibbs got a sudden flash of insight. "Does this 'protecting' she did have anything to do with the special security clearance she got from the President?"

"I can't say for certain but I don't feel good about talking anymore about her history. I'm sorry, Jethro," he said apologetically.

Gibbs gave him a rueful smile. "Well, at least you're calling me Jethro again instead of Agent Gibbs." As he opened his mouth to continue, Ducky's cell phone rang.

Ducky just about pounced on the interruption. "Rupert! Were you able to find out anything?" *pause* "I see. Alright, I'll see you then." *pause* "I won't say anything to her until you get here. Bye Rupert."

He looked at Gibbs to share the news, "He said he found something that _may_ indicate there may be something to Agent Fornell's claims. But he wants to come here to talk about it instead of doing it over the phone."

"And how long will that be?" Gibbs winced, knowing that the Council was in England and that would make it much longer than he wanted to wait. Of course right now, New York was too far away as well.

"He's taking a company jet as soon as he can get to the airport, so I'd say in a little over eight hours…give or take." He knew that Rupert could get there faster, but first it would be a waste of resources since this wasn't an emergency. It also would raise quite a few eyebrows trying to explain how he managed it.

Gibbs ran both his hands over his face and head in frustration, then began pacing the morgue like a caged tiger.

Ducky thought of something and hoped it'd be enough to placate Jethro for at least for a little bit. "It wouldn't give us a definitive answer, but we could compare your blood types to see if it's plausible at all."

With that news, Gibbs raced to his desk to retrieve the folder on Summers that the Director had given him the day before, praying that it would give him a clue whether Fornell was right or not. He didn't think that the guy would dare to lie to him about this. But that didn't mean that someone else couldn't have planted the info, expecting someone to go looking into her past.

He was so focused on his task that he missed the bemused expressions of his team and the woman in question as he tore through his desk then ran off with the folder in his hand.

-----------------------------

Buffy stared at the metaphorical dust of Gibbs' departure. "Is that normal for him?"

"Normal is such a subjective word where the boss is concerned," Tony said cryptically.

She snorted, not buying it for one second. "Meaning, you don't have a clue what could be making him run around like a madman either."

McGee looked thoughtful for a minute before offering his opinion, "There's nothing in the case that would wind him up like that. And if it were a new case, he normally would say something to us about it."

Tony jumped in with his conclusion, "Which would make it _personal_ most likely."

Shaking her head, Ziva stood and walked to the front of her desk to lean on it. "Personal? With a folder from his desk? It was not even in one of his well-secured drawers."

"You keep track of which of his drawers are well-secured?" Buffy asked with a shocked look. "Nevermind, I was just teasing. So, since the big guy is off doing his thing and I've learned _way_ more about lab procedures than I'd need in _three_ lifetimes," she said with a inward chuckle at her private joke, "whatcha gonna learn me?"

Ziva looked at her, confused by her little speech at the end. She was an American; why was she messing up the language that badly? And why wasn't Tony correcting her like he always did when _she_ made a mistake? _Nooo_, he just glanced at her, amused. She gritted her teeth in anger. The new girl was fitting in with Tony-- the _team_ far too easily.

What was next? Gibbs taking her to his private 'conference room' for chats? Meetings with the Director alone? She already had Ducky and probably now Abby fawning all over her. Abby, who still treated her like an outsider sometimes. But one look at the diminutive blonde and she latched on like they were long lost best friends.

She suddenly felt the need to show the small woman up at something…and she had just the thing. "Have you qualified on your hand gun here yet?" she inquired with a malicious smile.

Buffy looked up at the Mossad agent, hearing the challenge in her voice. "Actually, I've never carried a gun before," she answered honestly.

Ziva just smirked before suggesting, "Then we had better get you qualified before Gibbs finds out and blows his hat."

"That's stack, Ziva. 'Blows his _stack_'," Tony absently corrected, not seeing the angry glare since he was reaching into his drawer for his sidearm and holster.

But the look wasn't lost on the Slayer even if it wasn't directed at her. "I don't know, hers sounds funnier. Can't you just imagine him going around blowing his hat across the room?" she asked with a smile. Then she straightened up and waved a hand at Ziva. "Lead on then."

-----------------------------

A/N: Next…Buffy Anne Summers = Kelly Elizabeth Gibbs.


	11. Chapter 10: A New Possibility

**Chapter 10: A New Possibility**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: #4472 _'Bunny is my what?'_ by CindyB.

**EDIT A/N:** I came back to make sure that my Tara chapter didn't screw up anything I had already written. Sadly it did, so I had to make a small correction in this chapter to make it match up. Thanks to my betas: zigpal and CindyB.

A/N: Okay, let me get into my protective padding before I tell you this…Now, I know I promised the Buffy = Kelly thing, but that was before someone requested reading about Fornell and Gibbs' meeting. So while he's waiting for Giles to arrive, we're going to do a flashback for that. So sorry for doing this.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted In Honor of this becoming the most popular of my stories on TtH! It is now only second in one category and that is length – which hasn't anything to do with popularity that I can see.**

* * *

**NCIS Firing Range**

Ziva easily lifted her handgun and fired off a clip with barely taking time to aim, determined to show up this blonde antelope.* She smirked as the sheet made its way back to them with her tight grouping clearly visible. Her 15-round clip only took up the space the diameter of a golf ball. _**'Let's see her beat that!'**_ she thought viciously.

The three NCIS agents – well, two and one Mossad liaison – gave each other confused looks as the new girl picked up the NCIS standard-issue Sig Sauer P228 and held it flat in her palm with her eyes closed. It almost looked like she was meditating or something. Then she slowly slid it into a firing grip and opened her eyes to shoot.

Buffy was almost positive that she could outshoot anyone here, just as she could beat anyone in hand to hand. But she noticed the increasing animosity coming from the Mossad agent. It wasn't as if she was afraid Ziva David would attempt to hurt her – or that she _could_ – but she wanted to try to get along with everyone. Even DiNozzo she thought with sigh.

So between trying to smooth things out with Ziva and also not alerting them to her special skills, she chose to lower her abilities. But not by too much since she did have her own pride to deal with too. By the time she finished her clip, half of them were in a cluster where the heart would be and the other half in the middle of the forehead. Both of the clusters were a little more spread out than Ziva's were though.

Despite being impressed, Ziva gave Buffy a smug look of satisfaction at being better than her, which Buffy graciously accepted, slamming down the Slayer's need to be Alpha all the time. She'd have to give it some time and then challenge the agent to a rematch to quiet her primal side. It wouldn't do for her to let it feel threatened for too long. That and she'd have to be careful when they had their sparring match – which was postponed by Abby that morning.

McGee looked at the paper in awe. "I thought you said you didn't carry a weapon?"

"I _don't_ carry. But I have _fired_ weapons before. But guns and I are unmixy things ever since someone used one to kill me. I prefer the MacGyver method of doing things: using what's on hand to get me out of a jam," she answered with a semi-playful grin.

"I sorry, I thought you said you _died_?" Tony interjected.

Buffy's smile slipped partly. "Don't apologize, it wasn't _your_ fault."

"But how could you be here if you died?" McGee asked the obvious question that they all wanted to know.

She shrugged as if she didn't know either. She did, but she couldn't really tell them that her friend used a Wiccan prayer on her behalf. "The doctors don't understand it either. They thought for sure that I didn't stand a chance after losing so much blood. They had to just chalk it up to a miracle that I came back from flat-lining in the operating room."

Buffy turned away to hide the brightness in her eyes as she continued, "The other reason I don't like guns is that the same guy who killed me, killed a friend of mine at the same time when the bullet passed through me and hit her. Unfortunately, she didn't get the miraculous recovery that I did."

McGee guessed the reason for her movements and put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. "I'm sorry, we can go-" he started to offer.

She turned back with a sad smile. "No, I'll probably be expected to carry, right?" They all nodded. "Then I might as well start getting used to it. Can't always get close enough to the bad guys to take them out without using a gun." She picked the weapon again and asked with a grim expression, "So what do I have to do to get qualified here?"

* * *

**Meanwhile, back at the office…**

After being told that his team was at the firing range getting Buffy/Kelly qualified for her sidearm, Gibbs sat at his desk, staring at the photo in her file. He also pulled out the last photo he had of his daughter before she 'died'. He set them side-by-side to see if he could see any resemblance. There was something, but he couldn't be sure if it was just wishful thinking or not. The blood types indeed confirmed that they _could_ be related, but that didn't mean they were for sure.

It was probably a good thing she wasn't around right now because he'd most likely be staring at her and freaking everyone in the office out. At the same time, he desperately wanted her there so he could see if he recognized any of her mannerisms. Oh, he was going to drive _himself_ nuts with this.

Of course all this contemplating led him back to Fornell's call that morning…

* * *

"_Gibbs, we've got to meet. I have something important to tell you about your newest member. I'll see you at our spot in 30 minutes,"_ the man said before abruptly hanging up.

Half an hour later, he sat on the bench next to the FBI agent he had a semi-good working relationship with. They usually helped each other out, especially lately. They might not always be completely forthcoming, but they did what they could without crossing too many lines.

"I'm sure you'll do your own check on Miss Buffy Summers – if you haven't started already – but I don't know if you'll have the same kind of access that I had for this particular tidbit. There are parts of her file that I can't get at. I'm not even sure I could if I called in _all_ my markers," Fornell started off with a grimace.

"What is it, Fornell?" Gibbs demanded impatiently. This didn't bode well.

The guy flinched as if he expected to get hit – or shot – for what he found out. "Just remember that I only found this out because it was in _her_ file, not in yours."

Gibbs' head snapped up in his direction. "What could be in her file that has to do with me?"

Fornell handed him the pages. "These are her Witness Protection Program pages. I saw the flag when I ran a background on her. As you can see, her name before was-"

"Kelly Gibbs," he gasped when he saw the name on the page.

"Yup. That car accident that supposedly killed your wife and daughter was staged, sort of. There really was an accident and the person protecting them was killed, but they survived. When given her choices, your wife opted to go into Protection," the FBI agent informed him carefully.

Gibbs gave him a tortured look. "Why didn't I hear about this before?"

Fornell shrugged, "Aside from them never finding the guy responsible for their deaths? She made a couple comments about not being able to handle the sitting at home and worrying anymore."

"And Kelly? What did they tell her?" he asked, afraid of the answer.

"She was so shaken up by the accident that she repressed the whole thing. With that and her being so young…best I can figure, she only knew what her mother told her. About the situation and about who her dad really was," he explained.

Fornell took a deep breath before going on with the news that he was sure would make Gibbs hit the roof…if they were indoors, "Whoever kept track of them, did a half-assed job of it. They just marked that the check-ins went well and left it at that. Never went into great detail about what was happening in their lives. Once they hit California, they essentially disappeared."

And he was right. Gibbs stood up and yelled, "Dammit! Who was this moron?"

"Doesn't matter anymore, she died about 5 years ago during one of her visits to check-in with your family."

"Do they know how? Could it have been someone going after _them_?" he asked. He knew that the guy who 'killed' them was dead, but maybe someone went after them in retaliation.

Fornell shook his head, "No. Apparently they lived near a high crime area and she was just killed by a local gang member."

Gibbs sat back down and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "So, short of asking Buffy, there's no way to verify any of this? And she might not even be able to tell me either?"

"Not unless you can convince the President or Congress to unseal her _full_ files," Fornell suggested with a smirk.

The NCIS agent narrowed his eyes at his friend. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would a person's – a _civilian's_ – file be deemed so confidential that it'd take Congress or the President to get into it?"

"Don't know what to tell you. I got slapped on the wrist for what I _did_ find. Apparently it's not a good idea to go searching into her background at all, especially since she didn't have anything _directly_ to do with the FBI."

"Well, thanks for this. I may know someone who can fill me in…off the record. It'll be mostly hearsay though," Gibbs told him.

"Good luck with that. I hope this turns out well for you. If you can, I'd appreciate hearing what you find out about whether she really is yours or not," he mentioned with a hopeful note in his voice. This girl _had_ to be Gibbs'; no one else could cause him so much trouble.

Gibbs nodded, "You got it. Thanks again." He could guess what 'slap on the wrist' meant. It may not be terribly bad, but it wasn't a good thing for someone in their positions either.

* * *

Gibbs tried to remember Shannon; tried to remember some hint that she was so unhappy that she'd choose to let him believe that she and Kelly were dead. He just couldn't come up with anything. Was he that blind? Or was she just that good at hiding it? He supposed in the end it really didn't matter, she still left him.

And while he didn't really regret killing the guy he thought killed his family, it did make him wonder whether he would have found out about them sooner if he'd been brought him to the law's justice instead. But after 20 years, he doubted that was the case. If Shannon had really wanted to get in touch, she'd have done it by now.

And the fact that Buffy didn't even flinch when she saw him told him that she didn't have a clue who he was. That meant either Fornell's records were wrong – which he doubted – or Shannon didn't tell Kelly about her real dad. Maybe for security reasons, but most likely for the same reason she decided to leave in the first place.

* * *

The team came back with coffee which his possible daughter handed to him. He felt his breath hitch at the smile she gave him when she informed him that she was certified to carry a weapon and had already filled out the paperwork to get her own piece. Not exactly the little girl who pranced around the living room with butterfly wings, proclaiming that she was a fairy princess, but he swore there was a hint of the same mischief in her eyes.

Buffy looked at Gibbs with concern; it looked like he just got news that a loved one died. And if anyone knew that look, it was Buffy. Then again, it wasn't exactly the same look after all. It was actually more like he'd just seen a ghost.

"You okay there, big guy?" she whispered so the three stooges across the room couldn't hear over their bickering about the final scores at the range.

He cleared his throat and gathered himself before nodding. Then he barked out orders for the team, including having Buffy help McGee sort through emails and other paperwork that they needed to close the case for good. Her friend had gotten them on the right trail and now they were just tying up the loose ends.

Gibbs only managed to stay for another couple hours before his increasingly frequent looks at Buffy were getting noticed by everyone in the office. He made up an excuse and took off to go home until Ducky called him to say that Rupert Giles had arrived and would be at his house shortly.

Amazingly, Gibbs had stayed away from his usual choice of drink while he worked on his boat, sticking to coffee instead. He wanted to be sure he had a clear head when he confronted the guy who might hold the answers he was looking for. When he checked on the boat later, he found he had to replace a couple boards that he had sanded so thoroughly that half the wood was gone.

* * *

A/N1: *More Ziva-ism. Poor woman has trouble with American slang and then Buffy comes along and blows everything apart on her with her own unique language (LOL). I'll try not to do it to her too much or make it sound too stupid.

A/N2: This may have come off sounding kind of anti-Joyce/Shannon. It wasn't my intention, but Joyce really didn't respond well to learning about danger so I thought it was in character for her, if not Shannon.

A/N3: Next…I promise, Giles and Gibbs will meet. On my stack of recommendations, 'k?


	12. Chapter 11: An Old Friend

**Chapter 11: An Old Friend**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB.

*****Please Read*****

A/N3: Okay, there's going to be a little discrepancy in my story now. When Buffy got the assignment, she was worried about being on 'vacation'. In this chapter, we will see another reason – more important one – why she wouldn't have wanted to leave Europe. Please understand that they are both true in a way and that it was just because the way Musie wanted to handle djhardim's request for getting the name of the Council right: and that was finding out what happened to Xander.

**Posted In Honor of the 250****th**** review on TtH!**

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**Gibbs' car**

Gibbs was on his way over when Ducky finally called him that evening. He tried working on his boat to keep his emotions and thoughts under control, but found it didn't work like it usually did. He activated his hands-free device when the phone rang. "Yeah Ducky, what's up?"

"_Rupert has arrived, Jethro,"_ Ducky informed him casually.

"I'm almost there," he said, uncharacteristically nervous.

Ducky smiled to himself. _"As I thought you would be. I'm actually surprised you aren't here already. Although it's best that you aren't. Buffy and her friend Daniel Osborne only left a half hour ago."_

Gibbs grew suspicious that his witness had been at Ducky's house that evening. "What were they doing there?"

"_Just visiting. Young Daniel is a friend of Rupert's as well and when he heard about me, he wanted to meet. We had already made plans when you and I talked earlier and I couldn't cancel without raising any more suspicions. You apparently made quite an impression on Buffy this afternoon, Jethro,"_ he couldn't help but tease a little.

Gibbs felt like banging his head on the steering wheel. He had been that obvious? "I'm here," he said in place of an answer as he pulled into the driveway.

-----------------------------

**Ducky's house**

When he walked inside, Gibbs immediately sought out the man that he assumed was none other than Mr. Rupert Giles – the one who held the answer that could turn his world upside-down. He figured that gave him the right to see what kind of person he was. And the best way to do that was to give him the Gibbs Glare that unnerved his team and many suspects.

Much to his chagrin though, the guy not only didn't flinch under his steely gaze, he actually _met_ it. They stood there, trying to make the other back down first. But after a few minutes, Ducky came back carrying a tray with tea and Gibbs' favorite home-blend of coffee. The older man's impeccable manners dictated that he carry any blend for people who regularly visited.

Ducky smirked at them, "If you two are quite through with your staring contest, may we get to what brought you here, Rupert? My dinner with Buffy and your mutual friend…Oz, I believe he said to call him, was immensely uncomfortable for me. I did not enjoy hiding your impending visit from her – even if it was only temporary."

Giles looked appropriately contrite. "I apologize for that Ducky, but I knew that I would need to be as well-rested as possible to help Buffy through this. And that meant waiting until tomorrow to let her know I'm here."

Feeling his hackles rise, Gibbs leapt up from his seat that he had just taken. "You're suggesting that being _my_ daughter would upset Buffy?"

The younger Englishman just rolled his eyes at the theatrics. "Her history with the man she _thought_ was her father was less than exemplary. And bringing up _anything_ that makes her think of that pillock is bound to bother her. _That_ is what I am suggesting, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs didn't like the sound of that and ground out, "What did he do to her?"

"More of what he didn't do. She never spoke much about her life before Hank and Joyce divorced, but once the two ladies moved to Sunnydale, he decided that having a daughter wasn't worth the effort." Giles paused to take a sip of his tea, "Of course, now that I know he possibly wasn't her real father, it makes a little bit of sense. But he still should be strung up for deserting someone as wonderful as Buffy."

Deciding that he'd worry about the other father later, Gibbs went back to what was important, "So what information do you have that indicates she might be my daughter?"

"I'm afraid that I can't share that with you," Giles said calmly.

"What? Wh--" Gibbs stood again and took a step forward.

Giles just glared at him before clarifying, "It involves internal Council business and without Buffy agreeing to tell you, I cannot divulge it to anyone who hasn't already been approved."

"Then what the hell are you doing here?" he yelled.

Ducky figured it was a good time to intervene, "I believe that he was going to get my input on the information before approaching Buffy with it. Is that correct, Rupert?"

He nodded, "That and just seeing how she's doing so far in her new duties."

Gibbs looked confused at the other man's concern. "She's only been here for a couple days."

Giles got an unreadable – but decidedly bad – expression on his face as he remembered something. "Yes, but her last brush with the military was less than pleasant. I was a little worried about assigning her to NCIS."

Even though he knew what Rupert was referring to, Ducky still wondered, "Why did you?"

He set his cup down and leaned back in his seat. After composing himself, he told them, "The Council member who was _intended_ for the position was badly injured and couldn't make it. Xander isn't expected to get out of the hospital anytime soon. Besides, Buffy already had the security clearance that the other members didn't."

Seeing the pain on his friend's face, Ducky prompted gently, "Can you tell us what happened to him?"

"On the job injuries," Giles tried to answer nonchalantly and failing miserably. "The group we were going after captured him and tortured him until we were able to rescue him two weeks later…five countries away. Even then, we were very fortunate to find him. They knew who he was and what he meant to our group. To be honest, I'm surprised they didn't kill him as soon as they got him."

"Why is that?" Gibbs questioned, sneaking back into the conversation.

Giles' eyes narrowed in rage that made the other two blink from its intensity. "Because since they _hurt_ him, now they have some very angry and motivated people after them. As well as anyone who was stupid enough to help them with this. People who won't rest until the ones responsible are _gone_. We hate losing someone to death and will do what we can to even the score, but torture demands something greater in retribution."

That only served to confuse Gibbs more. "So why is Buffy here? Or were the two of them not close?"

"They were practically brother and sister," he said. Then he took his glasses off to wipe them clean. "She came because I reminded her that the Council needed her _here_. Hopefully what she learns from your team will help us track these groups down faster in the future. Plus we need to maintain the goodwill of the US government."

Guessing how the Slayer would feel about what had happened, Ducky inquired, "Are you sure she's going to be happy to see you since you took her out of the action?"

Giles gave him a rueful look. "I don't know, but I hope she will remember how much she cares for me and won't hurt me _too_ badly."

Something about the way the man said that made Gibbs uneasy. This was possibly his daughter they were talking about and this man was _his_ age. "And what is _your_ relationship with her?"

"I believe that it is up to her to tell you. But over the years, it has undergone numerous changes. And I suspect it will undergo more in the future," Giles answered vaguely.

Gibbs got right into his face and yelled, "That is a bullshit answer! Now, _what_ is your relationship?!"

Giles yelled right back, "None of your business until Buffy says otherwise! That is the _only_ answer I will give you."

Deciding to try another tack, Gibbs calmed himself and went back to his seat. "What did her mother think of you?" he questioned.

The Watcher knew what the other man was trying to do. It actually worked in his favor that he was already so protective of Buffy. Didn't mean he'd make it any easier for the man though. "That too changed over the years. But it mostly alternated between hating me and being resigned to my place in Buffy's life. What made it tolerable for her was knowing that I would lay down my life for Buffy if I could. Joyce and I managed to make our peace with each other just before her death."

Gibbs reached in his wallet and pulled out a photo. "Is this her?" he pleaded, not caring that he was letting his emotions show.

Giles studied it intently, not able to come up with a good answer – as much as he wanted to for the man that he was finding himself liking. "I can't say for certain. The hair color and style are different, but what is throwing me is the eye color. However, there are many features that appear similar though," he offered lamely.

That surprised Gibbs. "Her _eye_ color was different?"

Giles nodded with his own confusion evident, "Yes, Joyce's were blue; she said Buffy got her eyes from Hank. I never talked about it with Buffy and there were hardly any pictures of him around the house so…"

They kept talking for another hour or so until Giles was too jetlagged to continue. As much as he tried, Gibbs was unable to get the information that was so compelling that it drew the man across the ocean. The best he could hope for was that Buffy would decide to tell him.

-----------------------------

**NCIS Bullpen**

**Next morning**

Buffy walked backward out of the elevator as she kept talking to Abby. She spent the last hour telling her about her night with Ducky and Oz. Abby almost bounced off the walls when she heard that Oz was a werewolf. That made Buffy wonder if _anything_ didn't excite the walking caf-pow!

But when the lab tech started hinting – like a bulldozer – that she'd love to study Oz's blood and any were-samples she could get, Buffy stomped down on her…hard. Then she quietly explained their dealings with the Initiative and why it was a bad idea to even suggest that around him. And just like that, Buffy found Abby's off-switch. She looked so subdued and ill by what she heard that Buffy was afraid she might actually throw up.

So she spent the elevator ride sharing some of the funnier Hellmouth moments in an effort to cheer her new friend up. She must have been making some progress too since the light had started to come back into her eyes. Buffy was just about to begin the story of when Dracula came to Sunnydale when she heard a certain British voice behind her speaking softly with Ducky and Gibbs.

In a perfect impression of Abby, she spun on her heel and raced across the room with a loud squeal. She hit Giles with enough force to make him stumble back a few steps. After a few seconds of her Slayer hug, he gasped out, "Still need to breath, luv." Then she leaned back slightly to give him a kiss on the cheek.

Suddenly, her eyes glittered dangerously. Before he could do anything to defend himself, she knocked him to the ground.

As he picked himself up off the floor, he remarked dryly, "Not pleased to see me, then?"

Buffy opened her mouth to tear into him, but caught sight of their audience. She quickly glanced around, then grabbed his hand in a vise-like grip and dragged him to the elevator. Once inside, she threw the emergency stop button.

"Talk!" she commanded.

-----------------------------

Back in the bullpen, six people stared at the elevator doors with widely varied thoughts racing.

As the most informed person in the room, Ducky watched the two in amusement. Poor Rupert would have a devil of a time with calming that blonde dynamo.

DiNozzo sat there, stunned, as the newest object of his failed flirtations literally threw herself into the arms of the guy talking quietly with Ducky and Gibbs. Maybe she really did have a thing for older guys. He winced in sympathy when she decked him. He remembered his match with her the day before and didn't envy the guy at the moment. A few seconds ago, sure. Not now though.

Ziva raged in jealousy. She didn't know who the Englishman was, nor did she dare. But Miss Blonde and Perky dragged him off to the elevators to talk to him. That could only mean one thing…she _knew_ that it was Gibbs' version of a private conference room. Two days! She'd been there only two days and she was practically the NCIS pet!

Abby was stuck somewhere between pouting that she didn't hear about Dracula and dying of curiosity of who the new guy was. Gibbs would always be her silver fox, but this guy was quite the looker too.

McGee just looked confused. He had been busy on his computer when he heard the squeal. He would have sworn it was Abby, not Buffy though. Who knew there were two of them? He watched as she hugged the man Ducky brought in earlier. Then his eyes widened in alarm when she hit him. Was she on some medication that she forgot to take this morning?

Gibbs was almost growling at the pair. But he didn't know if that was because he was afraid the man was his possible daughter's lover or a rival as a father figure.

A few silent minutes later, the elevator doors re-opened and the pair stepped back out. Buffy attempted to appear calm, but it was apparent that whatever she had been told had shaken her up terribly.

She turned to Gibbs to inform him, "I have some Council business that I have to take care of immediately. But I'll take my cell with me in case you need to get a hold of me."

A quick glance at Giles made it clear that she knew what was really going on. And Gibbs was impressed that she had the presence of mind to come up with a cover story. "Fine. Make sure you get back here as soon as your business is concluded though. You still have procedures to catch up on."

Then he walked over to her and his voice softened as he looked her in the eye, "Buffy…I hope it turns out okay."

Not wanting to stick around for the aftermath, Ducky quickly offered, "I'll walk you two out."

-----------------------------

A/N: Next…What did Giles tell her?


	13. Chapter 12: A New Dad?

**Chapter 12: A New Dad?**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB. Sorry I didn't wait back to hear from you on this chapter

**Posted In Honor of the 25****th**** recommendation and 45000****th**** hit on TtH!**

-----------------------------

_Previously…_

Buffy opened her mouth to tear into him, but caught sight of their audience. She quickly glanced around, then grabbed his hand in a vise-like grip and dragged him to the elevator. Once inside, she threw the emergency stop button.

"Talk!" she commanded.

-----------------------------

**NCIS Elevator**

Giles started to talk, but Buffy interrupted him, "Is it Xander? Is he okay? Is the world ending? Why are you here? I was just with you a few days ago. What could have happened in that short of time?" She shook her head. "That was stupid, pretend I didn't say that."

He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Xander is doing as well as can be expected given the extent of his injuries. Cordelia and the others are tracking down the bastards that did this to him and wiping them out…after they find out who helped them, that is."

"Are they making it hurt?" she inquired with a vicious look in her eyes.

Giles responded with his own Ripper expression, "It's Cordelia. I think that's a given."

Then Buffy cleared her head of her Anya-like thoughts and moved on, "What about the rest of it?"

He hesitated. As much as he ran through this talk on the plane yesterday and in bed last night, he couldn't come up with an easy way to put it. "I am here, loosely, on Council business. But it is specifically about you."

She noticed his hesitancy and made what she _thought_ was the worst assumption, "What? Another prophecy?"

Giles shook his head, "No. I'm sorry to spring this on you so suddenly, but there is a chance that your aren't Hank Summers' daughter."

"And this is supposed to be a great loss?" she asked sarcastically.

"It's more than that. But the short version is that you and your mother were in the Witness Protection Program under assumed names," he began carefully.

Buffy's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "How do you know this?"

Giles took a deep breath. "Apparently an FBI agent told Agent Gibbs, who asked Ducky, who called me."

"Why would this agent go to Gibbs instead of the Director?"

"Because those files say that you are Kelly Elizabeth Gibbs. I checked with the Coven and they confirmed that the daughter of Shannon and Leroy Gibbs was a Potential. It seems a big coincidence if the two aren't connected," he finished, preparing for what she might do.

But Buffy just slumped into the wall of the elevator, shaking her head.

Giles reached out for her. "Buffy…are you alright?"

She shook off his hand. "Oh, peachy with a side of keen! Turns out that the guy whose team I just joined might be my long lost father instead of the deadbeat who raised me for the first part of my life." She looked up at him to ask, "So why hasn't Gibbs tried to find me or Mom before this?"

"Because he was told that the two of you died in the accident that killed your protection detail," he explained sympathetically – partly for her and partly for a man who thought he lost his family 20 years ago.

Buffy's expression cleared in realization. "So that's why he was looking at me so funny yesterday afternoon. And why Ducky was so jumpy last night."

"Yes, I told Ducky that I had information that indicated the FBI's files were on the right track. But since it was supernatural in origin, I couldn't share it with Agent Gibbs. Besides, I thought you might need a friendly shoulder around when you found out." He took her hand again, and this time she didn't pull away.

"So what now?" she asked.

Giles pulled out a business card from his pocket. "Well, Ducky suggested that we go to a lab nearby to get your blood tested to find out for sure. He would do it here, but then there's the chance that others might find out as well."

"Yeah, that might be a little awkward. _'By the way guys, I'm Gibbs' dead daughter!'_ Somehow, I don't think that people come back from the dead that often around here." She gave a mirthless laugh, "Guess they'd better get used to it with me around."

He gave her an anguished look. "Please don't joke about that. Losing you three times just about destroyed me. I'm afraid that if I lost you again, I wouldn't survive it."

Buffy gave him a watery smile. "Even if I made you promise?"

"Even if you used your pout on me," he answered with his own smile.

She leaned into him and he put his arm around her for a short embrace. "Then I guess I'd better stick around a bit longer. The world is better with you in it."

"And you too, my dear," he told her before he kissed her temple.

Buffy stepped back and threw the switch again. "We'd better get back out there before they start to think we're trapped."

-----------------------------

A/N1: Surprise! I saved Cordy somehow – don't ask, it was magick – and she decided to join the Council instead of watching Angel try to fight from inside the belly of the beast. Don't know what her feelings for Xander are. Still not sure if Anya is alive or not.

A/N2: Next…Well, I would try to hint at the results of the blood test, but everyone knows what they are already. 'Cause if you don't, what story have you been reading? But it will be a tense day for those waiting the results, but then there will be the father/daughter reunion. Hope you don't mind if I mostly skip over the waiting? They've been through enough.


	14. Chapter 13: An Old Problem Pt 1

**Chapter 13: An Old Problem, A New Solution - Part 1**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way. Strike that, Buffy gets pissed off so she says some bad words.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB.

A/N3: Sorry about this everyone, Musie just got smacked in the head with this idea and took control of my body, forcing me to write this. That means there won't be the reveal as previously expected. But don't worry, I'll post the reveal very, very soon!

**Posted In Honor of the 17 fav stories and 38 alerts on ! You may not review much, but you're still showing the love!**

-----------------------------

**Washington DC, just outside NCIS**

They were making their way to a waiting cab when Buffy asked, "So, what do you want to do after we drop off the blood samples?"

"I thought your fa-- Agent Gibbs told you to come right back once we were through," Giles replied.

She smirked. "He said once my Council business was _done_. I think that we're okay as long as we don't push it too far." She got a sudden idea. "Hey! I bet Oz would love to see you again. You know…the strangest thing happened between us the other night. We claimed each other." At the startled look in his eyes, she clarified, "…As pack and Alpha."

He felt uneasy by her announcement. "You're _sure_ it was nothing more?" he inquired cautiously.

"Abso-tively. But I got the sense that it was something that we each missed on a subconscious level since he left Sunnydale. It sure felt great, that's for sure!" Buffy remarked with a hint of excitement.

Giles cleared his throat, still worried about the claiming. He set that aside for another concern though. "Did you happen to tell him about Willow?"

She got a sad look in her eyes. "Uh-huh. And even though he was upset by it, he managed to control his wolfy side. While he was away, he realized that his problem with Tara wasn't just because of her relationship with Willow – though that's what set him off initially. He felt like he was being pushed out of the group by her presence."

He looked surprised by that. But when he considered it more closely, it actually made a lot of sense. But they still had the problem of the two of them meeting up together and the trouble it could cause if the tension between them caused a lack of control. "What do you suggest we do then?"

Buffy leaned her head back as they settled into the cab. She took a deep breath before suggesting, "Well, I wouldn't plan on a big Scooby reunion just yet, but I can possibly see them being able to work together in the future…if necessary," she finished hesitantly.

After lunch with the guys, Buffy returned to NCIS. She left Giles and Oz to get caught up with each other. Before she took off, they had told him about Xander and he offered to help track down those responsible.

Giles thanked him but he preferred if Buffy had some supernatural back-up nearby, causing the other two to sag in their chairs in relief. Giles' curiosity was piqued by this display and he planned to check with the other Slayers to see if they had any similar reactions with their teams.

-----------------------------

**NCIS Bullpen**

When Buffy walked in, all conversation in Gibbs' section immediately ceased. She smirked as she remarked, "Gee, if I were paranoid, I'd swear you were talking about me."

They hadn't been talking about her, but still McGee felt the need to clear the tension. "How did your morning go? You seemed kind of out of it earlier."

She shrugged, "It went as well as could be expected. I did my part and just need to wait to hear how it turns out."

"Where's the guy you left with?" Tony tried to question her nonchalantly. He was still trying to figure out if he had a shot with this blonde beauty or not.

"He's shooting the breeze with Oz. And unless I misread the gleam in his eye, the next time I see them, he'll have tried to recruit Oz to work for the Council. He was very helpful in the past when he freelanced for us," she explained before realizing that she was talking too much.

As much as he wanted to hear more, until he knew the results of the test, Gibbs needed to limit his exposure to Buffy/Kelly. "That's enough chatter! Summers still needs to learn how things work around here. McGee, take her up to MTAC and show her our set-up."

Surprised that Gibbs would stop the team from learning about the new member, McGee just sat in place. Finally Gibbs barked out, "_Now_, McGee!" He hastily jumped up and escorted Buffy up the stairs to the communications room.

Ziva watched them through narrowed eyes, convinced that this was more evidence Buffy Summers was being allowed privileges that she hadn't earned yet. Just last month, she was told that because of security concerns, they couldn't allow her access to MTAC yet. She decided to contact the Mossad to learn more about this woman who was pushing her out.

She wasn't the only one shocked by the blonde's access to the most secure room in the facility. But unlike her, Tony felt no need to bite his tongue. "Uh, Boss? Why are you letting a foreign group's liaison have clearance to MTAC?"

Gibbs glared at him for a good ten seconds before he realized his own screw-up. Thinking fast for a cover, he told them, "She has Presidential Clearance. That gives her the access she needs." Although not for the same reason he guessed they had, he added, "I'm not any happier about it than you are, but unless we learn it's an unlawful order, we have to abide by President Ryan's standing orders."

Looking back down at his desk, Gibbs knew that he had to be more careful in the future. He had sent Buffy out of the 'pen because he didn't trust himself not to stare at her all afternoon like yesterday. They would have to figure out a way to deal with this if she really was his daughter, Kelly.

That made him wonder…would she want to acknowledge him as her father – much less announce it to NCIS and the rest of the world? He was torn between being happy that he wouldn't have to compete with Hank Summers for her affections and wanting to rip the man's lungs out for abandoning her. His actions were not only hurtful to her, they would make his task of gaining her trust that much harder.

And that didn't even take into account Rupert Giles. That man drove him crazy. As soon as he knew for sure – i.e. scientifically – Buffy was his daughter, he was going to call Fornell to see what the FBI had on him. Then he remembered the guy was an English citizen and that meant he would have to call in some other favors as well.

When he glanced up at the MTAC door, he saw Buffy walk out, talking on her cell. She briefly caught his eye and signaled that it wasn't the lab with a slight shake of the head. Then she started pacing as she began to talk to the caller. Whoever it was clearly was getting her increasingly angry.

Soon her temper flared and she said loudly enough for half the room to hear her, "You know what? Fuck you, Riley! We are not your maids. We do not exist to clean up your messes! I warned you guys to behave. But no! You just assume that we will continue to keep bailing your asses out of the fire! Never again!" She listened to his response and her face hardened.

Her voice lowered and became cold – as opposed to the raging inferno of just seconds ago, "Now I'm doing what I _should_ have done once Ryan told me I had the authority a year ago. You are hereby shut down. _*pause*_ I don't care. That's _your_ problem. _*pause*_ If that's the way you want it, fine. I'll get you the papers. And Riley? _Never_ call me again!"

She slapped the phone shut, only to re-open it to place a call. Even though she was still vibrating with fury, she had calmed enough to speak at a normal volume. However, by this point, Gibbs had slipped closer to listen in. A quick glare at Ziva and Tony kept them in their seats though.

"Giles? It's me. _*pause*_ No, I haven't heard about that yet. _*pause*_ Me too. Riley called. _*pause and chuckle*_ He expects me to drop everything to help them again with a situation. _*pause*_ I know that's nothing new, but this time _they're_ responsible for it." She pulled the phone away from her ear as he started ranting.

"Not exactly like last time, but it's close enough for me. I'm going to use my authority to have them shut down. Now if they want to play god, they'll have to do it without government approval. _*pause*_ Yeah, he's being an ass about it and making me do it through 'proper channels'," she added disdainfully.

She leaned against the railing as she listened to him. "Well, someone needs to take care of it before it gets out of control. I know she wanted to let the lawyers take care of this, but since we need her out _now_, I'm going to ask for a pardon. _*pause*_ He actually offered before, but she turned it down. Something about doing it the 'right' way instead of the easy way."

Gibbs could hear the smile on her face as she continued, "Don't worry, I'll call you the second I know. _*pause*_ I love you too, Giles. Bye."

He listened with a frown as she hung up and dialed yet another number. His eyes widened in shock when he heard her ask for President Ryan. Because of that, he missed hearing her move and he was suddenly face-to-face with one pissed off Slayer. Wow! Her glare put Ducky's to shame.

"None of your business, _even_ if you are my father!" she hissed quietly as she pushed past him toward the elevators.

-----------------------------

A/N1: A slightly AU introduction of Jack Ryan as President. Instead of the ending in _'Debt of Honor'_ that led to his taking the Oath, Jack was sworn in as Vice, then moved up when the President died during the Bio-Attack in _'Executive Orders'_.

A/N3: Next…New solution.


	15. Chapter 14: A New Solutiion Pt 2

**Chapter 14: An Old Problem, A New Solution - Part 2**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way. Strike that, Buffy gets pissed off so she says some bad words.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB.

A/N3: Sorry about this everyone, Musie just got smacked in the head with this idea and took control of my body, forcing me to write this. That means there won't be the reveal as previously expected. But don't worry, I'll post the reveal very, very soon!

-----------------------------

**NCIS**

While she waited for both the President and the elevator, Buffy felt a moment of remorse for snapping at Gibbs like that. It really was her own fault for going off like that in public. It's just that she was just livid that Riley would assume the Slayers were there to help the Initiative out of jams. And to make it worse, this time it was because they were experimenting again.

'_But it's nothing like it was with Adam,'_ he had tried to argue.

_Even_ if she believed that bullshit, the fact that they were experimenting again was bad enough.

She was in Ducky's morgue – Palmer having been sent to assist Abby with something, anything to get him out of there – by the time the President got on the line.

Even though he was concerned about why she would be calling him, President Jack Ryan spoke warmly to the woman who had been keeping the world safe for the better part of the last decade. "Miss Summers? Sorry for the wait. It took some time to get to a private area where I could talk freely. What can I do for you?"

"Just call me Buffy, Sir," she replied automatically before beginning her tirade, albeit in a much calmer tone than before, "Simply put, the Initiative is at it again, Mr. President. But this time I feel that it's finally necessary for me to use the authority Congress gave me to shut them down for good. But they are requesting to be notified officially, Sir. That's where you come in."

Ryan mumbled something to a person next to him, then turned back to the phone, "It's being taken care of immediately. Can you explain what they've done that has you so troubled?"

Buffy relayed the conversation she had with Riley almost verbatim – at least on his side. She didn't feel good about repeating her responses to the President. Not that she was ashamed or thought she overreacted, just that he was too much of a gentleman to say those things to.

Ducky, who had been listening, paled at the group's recklessness and arrogance. Apparently the President agreed with him.

Then she got to the second reason for her call. She cleared her throat softly and spoke formally, "Mr. President, as co-head of the Ursagga Council, I would like to officially request a pardon for Faith Lehane. She is needed to go and clean this mess up. If it were just the Initiative that would suffer, we would keep out of it this time. But innocent lives are at risk and we can't let them suffer the consequences as well, Sir."

"I'll take care of it right away. But it's up to you to get her to accept it this time. You know, it's very unusual for someone to turn down a pardon." Like her father earlier, she could hear the smile in his voice.

Buffy smiled back despite her previous anxiety. "I know, Sir. She's just afraid that it's too similar to when the Mayor would take care of her problems. I hope you understand it's nothing personal, Sir."

"Of course. But I want you to remember that when we are talking unofficially that you can call me Jack. Okay?" he remarked charmingly. If she didn't know better, she'd have sworn that that he was acting very politician-y. As it was, she did know from past conversations – both with him and others around him – that he despised politics.

Buffy was confused by his request. She understood that he was just doing his duty and that he probably resented it at times. _**'Gee that sounds familiar,' **_she thought with a grin. "Okaaay, but exactly when would we be talking and it _not_ be official?"

Ryan laughed. He really did like this woman. From what he heard from and about her, she understood the concept of duty. It felt good that there were others in the world that got that. "Point taken. How about when you aren't speaking as a Council member, but just as Buffy or as a Slayer then?" he suggested.

"I'll try to remember that. Oh! By the way, I looked over that request from Andrea Price – she's your bodyguard right?" she asked, surprised that she actually remembered the name of the woman off the top of her head. Normally she had to think about it.

"Not the precise title, but yes. She was wanting to either have a Slayer work with the protective detail or have one train them in case somebody decides to send demons after me, right?" he paraphrased the request best he could remember it.

Buffy nodded even though he couldn't see it, "That's the one. Unfortunately, only Faith and I are over 18 at the moment. There's a couple Slayers who will be in the next few months. Now, Vi was with us in Sunnydale, but the others are ones we had to track down so they have even less experience and training than Vi does."

Ryan considered that news momentarily. "Even with a pardon, Andrea would never be able to let Faith on the detail. It would be a political nightmare if it ever became public." That made him realize another hitch in their plans. "There might be the same sort of problem with you or any of the other Slayers because you are connected to a multi-national agency. That reminds me, how are you enjoying NCIS?" he inquired.

She laughed ruefully, "Well, it certainly is interesting. Maybe I can tell you more about it later, but it seems as though I have a personal connection here. Right now I'm trying to wrap my head around it though."

Now he was concerned. He quickly offered, "If you need anything, even for personal reasons, don't hesitate to ask. What you've done for the world allows you some favors."

"Thank you, Sir. I mean, Jack," she quickly corrected herself. "Like I said, maybe once I've come to grips with it better. But about your detail situation…maybe I can help them unofficially until I'm done here at NCIS. Not that your safety isn't important! Just that Giles thinks that I can learn a lot about investigations from these folks that can help the Council and future Slayers and--" she started to ramble when she recognized how that must have sounded to him.

Ryan chuckled at her concern. This woman who most if not all of the fiercest creatures imaginable feared was upset at the idea of offending _him_. "Don't worry, I understand what you meant. How about I have Andrea call you to work out the details of this unofficial training?"

Buffy breathed a silent sigh of relief before agreeing, "That sounds good to me."

"And let me know if the Initiative gives you anymore trouble. I have a friend who can help keep them away from you." Then he had his own thoughts about how that sounded and added, "Don't worry, he wouldn't kill them unless they gave him no other choice. He's just really good at intimidation."

Buffy perked up at that information. "Really? I think I'd like to meet him then. See how he ranks on the scale of glares."

Ryan's curiosity was piqued at this and he felt compelled to find out, "Who's the scariest so far?"

She thought about her answer for a second before answering, "Personally, I think it's Giles. But I may not be the best judge of that because of my personal desire not to upset him. Other people tell me that my ex, Angel when he's Angelus is scarier. And other people say that I win the prize – mostly because it's so unexpected coming from a bubble-headed Barbie type."

"And I'm sure that you haven't tried to change that image of yourself, have you?" he shot back with a audible smirk.

Buffy laughed, "Why should I? It's a perfectly good cover – both with the bad guys and you wouldn't _believe_ how many research all-nighters it has gotten me out of."

Ryan laughed in return then saw Arnie waving frantically at him, "As much as I'd love to keep talking with you, I have some appointments to get to."

"Thank you again for Faith, Jack. I know she needs to pay for her crimes, but keeping a Slayer confined is close to torture. I don't understand how she's managed for so long," she wondered out loud.

He offered his own hypothesis, "My guess is that she's remembering _why_ she needs to stay and that's what keeps her holding on."

"I'll be waiting to hear from Andrea then. Goodbye, Jack," Buffy said, not wanting to get the President caught up in another conversation that could drag him away from something important.

"Goodbye, Buffy," Ryan answered before hanging up.

-----------------------------

The minute she hung up, her phone rang again. She scowled at the caller ID, but answered anyway, "I thought I told you never to call me again, Riley! The President is getting your orders written up." What she didn't say was that he could expect to lose his commission, as well as any of the other leaders in the group.

A quiet yet familiar voice answered, "Uhh, Buffy? It's not Riley, it's Graham Miller."

Buffy was still leery about anyone from that group calling her. True, when he was in Sunnydale, Graham was one of the better guys. At least he respected her and her abilities – unlike that jerk, Forrest. And there were actually times when she wished she had met Graham first instead of Riley. But then again, who knows if that would have changed anything. "Okay, what do _you_ want?" she asked with a moderately less hostile tone.

Thanking whatever higher powers there were that she didn't just hang up on him, Graham quickly explained, "Basically to thank you for shutting the program down. I just found out a couple days ago that they were making the same mistakes they did before, just using the newer squads for the capture teams. None of us who were in Sunnydale – besides Riley – would ever have done that again."

His voice grew hard, "And they knew that. That's why they kept us as strictly kill squads. To be honest, I don't know what he could be thinking. But then again, he's stayed pretty far away from any of us from the original group."

Wondering if she had misread her ex and he was in trouble, Buffy asked, "You think they might be messing with him again?"

"Sadly, no. I think anything that's going on is by his choice." He let out a sigh of disgust, then continued, "I know that he had problems being the ordinary boyfriend of a superhero, but we thought that when he married Sam that he was over it. But they didn't last long after that final visit to Sunnydale when they went after the eggs. Sam got tired of listening to him go on and on about you and your 'relationship' with Giles and how wrong it all was."

Sure she must have heard that wrong, she demanded, "What? How was my relationship with Giles any different than it was when Riley left?"

Graham was surprised at the shock in her voice. Apparently his old buddy got his signals wrong. That didn't really surprise him since the guy just couldn't think clearly where Buffy was concerned – not that he blamed him…much. "Riley said that the two of you went away together for an extended vacation and left the slaying up to your friends and Hostile 17. And that the two of you looked awfully close for _just_ Watcher and Slayer."

Buffy felt like pulling her hair out. Strike that, she felt like tracking him down and 'sparring' with him like he always said he wanted her to. "What a pillock! I suppose he forgot to mention that this alleged 'vacation' was so that I could learn to get through the day without wanting to die again so that I could get back to heaven?"

"I don't understand," he stuttered. He really hoped that he _didn't_ understand what that sounded like.

Even though she probably shouldn't, Buffy decided to give Graham the benefit of the doubt and give him the truth. "About five months after he left me, I died trying to stop a hellgoddess from destroying…well, all of reality. When that happened, I went to a place of peace and rest. But the group, except for Giles and Tara, wanted to bring me back because they convinced themselves I was in a hell dimension since that's where Glory was trying to get back to."

It _was_ what he was afraid of. Graham felt sick to his stomach, but managed to gasp out, "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry, I had no idea!"

Buffy ignored his platitude since she had _mostly_ gotten over it now. She went on with her explanation, "Anyway, I was pretty messed up and Giles realized as soon as he saw me that I hadn't been in a hell dimension before they brought me back. And when it was confirmed that I was at peace, he took me away from the Hellmouth. He was afraid that staying there in my vulnerable state would eat away at my soul until I was just a shell."

"I assumed it worked since you sound like when I knew you before," he offered lamely.

"Yeah, Giles was right…again," she answered. She started to mention Dawn, but decided that she didn't want to rehash everything about that time.

Graham sensed an opening for his other question and took it. "Do you mind me asking about Giles and why you two were so close when Riley saw you again?"

Buffy shrugged, "Nah. He was there for me while I recovered and helped me get over my feelings of betrayal towards the others for not even checking where I was before doing the spell. To make a long story short, he became my best friend. And even when we finally did go back to Sunnydale, we _remained_ best friends. Let me tell you, _that_ didn't sit well with the Gang."

He smiled at the idea that they would feel threatened by their closeness. Probably rightfully so. "I can imagine. Oh, I'd better get going. I hear Riley bellowing. Guess the orders came though."

"Ah shucks. That's too bad," she said sarcastically.

Graham hesitated to ask but he needed to know anyway. "I know that it's not your place to clean up after us, but are you going to anyway?"

Since she could tell it wasn't a command like Riley before, Buffy answered him calmly, "Not personally, but I am sending an experienced Slayer and a team to take care of it."

"Thanks," he said gratefully, then paused before pushing his luck, "Umm, would you mind if I came to visit you when we got back to the States and finish the debriefing nightmare?"

Buffy smiled at the thought of catching up with someone from Sunnydale and hoped that it wouldn't bite her in the ass. "I don't have a problem with that. Right now I'm working with NCIS as a liaison to the Council."

Graham was confused and it was apparent in his voice, "I thought you hated those Council guys. Not to mention the military?"

She laughed, "Well, that's a story for when you visit. Take care and don't forget rule one…"

He picked up where she left off, "_'Don't die.'_ Simple but effective. See you soon, Buffy."

"Okay, Graham." She hung up her phone then stared at it, expecting it to ring, seeing as how she'd been talking for the past hour or so.

When it didn't, she spoke to Ducky for a few moments as he went over some autopsy findings with her. Palmer tentatively stuck his head in and found them discussing the history of embalming over a tray of internal organs. This new woman was certainly different from other people who come into the morgue. She didn't even seem to flinch at the nastier aspects of their work.

When Buffy notice him, she realized that she needed to get back upstairs. She hastily said goodbye to them and got on the elevator. Now that the crisis had been dealt with, her mind slipped back to wondering about Gibbs and the possibility that he might be her dad.

-----------------------------

A/N1: A slightly AU introduction of Jack Ryan as President. Instead of the ending in _'Debt of Honor'_ that led to his taking the Oath, Jack was sworn in as Vice, then moved up when the President died during the Bio-Attack in _'Executive Orders'_.

A/N2: New AU details for BtVS season 6 are Giles taking Buffy away to recover and Spike helping the Gang with the resurrection instead of Tara. It just seemed OOC to me that she'd go along with that. And Spike was obsessive enough to want the real Buffy back. But it was his guilt over doing that which led him to seek his soul.

A/N3: Next…Family barbecue.


	16. Chapter 15: An Old Memory

**Chapter 15: An Old Memory **

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB.

A/N3: This story has been nominated for the Fang Fetish Awards at .com/fangfetish/. Thanks to whoever gave me that honor.

**Posted In Honor of the - on TtH!**

-----------------------------

_Special New Bulletin…_

This just in from **physicsteach**: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called President Ryan today to express his displeasure at not being notified of the intended pardon of Faith Lehane. He reminded the President that Miss Lehane's crimes were State and not Federal, meaning that only the Governor would have the right to pardon her.

Shortly thereafter, he came out of a teleconference call with an unnamed female representing the group that was requesting the pardon. The pale and shaky 'Governator' quickly announced that he was backing the President's request and that Faith Lehane was free to do her 'duty to save humanity'.

_Now back to our regularly scheduled program…_

-----------------------------

**Gibbs' Car**

The workday was over and they still hadn't heard from the lab. When Gibbs was alone with them, he invited Ducky and Buffy to his house for a barbecue dinner. They could get talk while they waited. Buffy agreed as long as Giles and Oz could join them. They were her moral support and she needed them there when she found out. Not that she said that to Gibbs though. He might have misunderstood her meaning and have been hurt by it.

Buffy opted to ride with Gibbs while Ducky picked up the other two. This was Ducky's suggestion so they could talk privately. He whispered in her ear as he helped her into the car, "He's a good man. And even though you're an adult and the Slayer, he'd make a great father. He already sort of is for Abigail."

They stopped at the market to pick up dinner supplies and as they were walking out to the car, the lab finally called. Since they were only a couple blocks away, they said they'd swing by to pick up the results immediately. The technician was a good friend of Ducky's and told them that it would be fine with him.

After thanking the man profusely, Buffy clutched the envelope tightly, telling Gibbs that she wanted to wait until they were back at the house to read it. Even though his nerves were just about shot by this point, he agreed with her. He knew that whatever it said, he would be too out of it to drive carefully. It was bad enough as it was.

If Buffy hadn't been so focused on not tearing the envelope open, she might have grown pale at his speed and recklessness. But then again, she was the Slayer and apparently got her driving abilities from him.

-----------------------------

**Gibbs' House**

They barely set the groceries on the counter before Buffy gave into her urges and ripped the paper out. She quickly scanned it, hoping for some non-scientific indication of what the results were. Fortunately, in bold print it stated clearly that there was a 98.63% correlation between the blood samples.

Next to that, the technician scrawled, _'Congrats! It's a girl!'_ He didn't know exactly what it all had been about, but Ducky said that he was looking to prove paternity for two of his friends. He assumed that it meant they were hoping for this result.

Blindly, Buffy thrust the paper at Gibbs for him to read. Her vision sharpened as he read the same thing she did. She noticed a joyful smile flit across his face before he schooled his features and turned to her to see her reaction. She managed an expression that resembled happiness, but he wasn't fooled. He only hoped that it was the shock of it all and not displeasure at being his daughter.

Before either one could say anything, the front doorbell rang and Gibbs reluctantly excused himself to let the others in. Buffy took the opportunity to look for an escape.

-----------------------------

**Gibbs' Basement**

Buffy snuck downstairs for some privacy while she dealt with the reality of the situation. It was one thing to suspect it, but seeing it in black and white was quite another. The strange part was that she wasn't very heartbroken to find out she wasn't Hank's daughter. Ten years ago it would have just about destroyed her. She had been daddy's little princess.

However, when she stopped acting like a princess, that's when his interest in her faded. Even before they left LA, he stopped having that look of pride he usually had when he looked at her. And for several years she saw that as _her_ failing.

But one of the things she learned during her so-called 'vacation' with Giles was that Hank was a selfish ass that didn't deserve to have the title of dad. From that moment on, she didn't even think about Hank Summers – even in hatred. He just ceased to exist for her.

Now she had a chance at having a new father. And while it was true that part of her relationship with Giles over the years mirrored a father/daughter relationship, that really wasn't the case with them anymore. It hadn't been since her 18th birthday and the hell it brought with it. So the question remained…could she trust Gibbs to be her dad?

Thinking about the last couple days, she considered it. Obviously, her past was riddled with her failures of trusting the wrong people, but she still thought that her instincts were pretty good – when she didn't allow others to taint them with their own opinions. She didn't count her pre-Slayer days because those 'friends' were chosen by her parents' expectations.

Her one glaring mistake was Angel. She had picked him, _despite_ what other people thought of him. Of course, now that she thought about it, that might have been part of his appeal. She had been so angry at her destiny and dating a vampire was the ultimate rebellion. She admitted that in some weird way she loved him. But in the years since, she saw that it was the 'obsessive, first love' kind of thing. Even without the threat of Angelus, it was an unhealthy relationship that was doomed to end in disaster.

Buffy quickly set aside those thoughts to get back to the present. Gibbs was her dad, father, dad. Oh what the hell was she supposed to call him? She wondered if it would hurt his feelings if she asked him to wait before announcing it to the others. Partly because she wanted to get to know him without their scrutiny. But also partly because they might see it as suspiciously convenient that their new liaison was the team leader's long-assumed dead daughter.

-----------------------------

**Gibbs' Kitchen**

Gibbs brought the three other men back into the kitchen when he noticed Buffy didn't follow him to the door. He grew alarmed when he didn't see her in the room. Would she have run off? Before his worry could blossom into panic, he noticed the open door leading to the basement. Handing the paper to Ducky, he went to join her.

He stood on the stairs for a moment to watch her. She was so beautiful and petite. But he knew that her perceived fragility was just an illusion. If she wanted to, his daughter could be one of the deadliest people alive. He was sure he hadn't seen the extent of her fighting skills yet, but he instinctively knew that people only had one chance to underestimate her…unless she chose to hide her talents for some reason.

Because of that, he knew that he couldn't treat her the same way he treated Abby. Not only did she not _need_ to be physically protected, she would probably be quite offended at any attempt to do so. That still left emotionally though. Did she need protection emotionally? If she wasn't dating Rupert Giles, was there someone else in her life? Had she been hurt by a past love?

He watched in bemusement as she picked up a piece of sandpaper and went to the boat. He silently made his way down the stairs, ready to show her how to do it…again. But before he could reach her, she started to sand absentmindedly. The remarkable part was that she was doing it correctly – with the grain and not in tiny circles like so many people did.

"Did a boyfriend teach you that?" Gibbs asked, cringing at the thought of her dating.

The question startled her, as well as the fact that he managed to sneak up on her. "Uh, no. I really don't know where it came from. My friend Xander does carpentry stuff, but I don't remember him ever telling me how to sand." A thought occurred to her. "Did _you_ ever teach me?"

He seemed surprised by the idea that she would remember something as trivial as that, but not him personally. _**'But at least it was something,'**_ he thought happily.

-----------------------------

Back upstairs, the others read the paper with avid interest. Oz was uncharacteristically the first to speak, "That would explain the pack feeling I got from him when we met."

Ducky looked at him in surprise. "You mean to tell me that Jethro is a werewolf?"

Oz shook his head, "No. Pack, meaning family. Buffy is my Alpha even though she isn't a were. And given that he's her dad, it makes sense that my wolf felt he was family as well."

"Fascinating," the older man declared. He walked to the basement stairs to check on the two of them and turned back when it looked like they were bonding over the boat. He chuckled and thought that if Buffy drank bourbon, that they could just call her Gibbs Jr.

Giles still hadn't spoken. He couldn't think, much less talk. He already knew that he had to share Buffy with Ducky and Oz. And he was okay with that…_really_ he was. And he hadn't been her father figure since high school. He didn't even want to be that for her. But now that she had a man that – by Ducky's assurances – would serve as a caring father, would that mean that Gibbs would become her best friend? And if that happened, where would that leave his _own_ relationship with her?

-----------------------------

**Basement**

As they stood there, sanding the boat together, Buffy figured she'd better deal with her earlier behavior at NCIS. She turned to Gibbs and began, "I just want to say sorry for biting your head off this afternoon. It's just the guy who called me said some stuff that he should have known would piss me off. Then he had the nerve to _tell_ me to come and fix his mistakes."

She sat down on the platform and Gibbs joined her as she continued, "I shouldn't have taken it out on you, but you really didn't make me happy with your eavesdropping. I get that you have like a dozen reasons for being curious where I'm concerned – especially now that we know for sure that you're my father. But what _you_ have to get is that it doesn't give you an all-access pass to my life."

Gibbs looked disappointed when she said that. His nature was to investigate and now she was warning him that her life was basically off-limits. "Does that mean you won't tell me what those calls were all about or how exactly you are on speaking terms with the President?"

"Sorry, but in that particular case, I _can't_ tell you. As far as I know, you don't have the necessary clearance to be told." She gave a deep sigh and went on, "A lot of my life is secret and has to remain that way…for good reason. And I'm not talking about the Witness Protection thingy, because today was the first I'd ever heard of it. Some of my secrets I may be able to tell you once I feel I can trust you. What I need from you is the patience to wait for me to tell you and not to go digging for answers on your own. Can you do that?"

"Do you think that you'll be _able_ to trust me?" he asked with a hint of pleading in his voice.

She gave him an apologetic smile. "Well, you're the unfortunate recipient of a set of baggage of three things that have hurt me in the past, both personally and professionally – one at the same time. You represent the police, the military and most importantly, a father figure."

He carefully grabbed one of her hands but held it loosely. "Can you tell me why those things hurt you? I mean I can probably figure out the father issue, but--"

Buffy interrupted him, "The first two…I can't…not yet. They are part of that whole secret package thing. But I suppose I can tell you more about Hank." At his look of shock that she would refer to him by name, she explained, "When he didn't show up for Mom's funeral, I decided that he lost the right to be called dad."

Gibbs nodded in agreement when he abruptly remembered something. "That reminds me, your friend Rupert said that my pictures of Shannon looked like your mom, but her eyes were a different color. Do you know why?"

"Now with this Witness thing, I have a different idea of why, but what she told me growing up was that she wanted blue eyes. And having contacts that gave her the color was the next best thing to natural. Also, when I was younger, she used to color her hair dark. But when she and Hank divorced, she let her hair go natural again," she explained.

Then she stared at him with new hope in her eyes. "You said that you had pictures of her. Can I see them? I lost all mine when Sunnydale collapsed."

Gibbs moved across the basement and pulled down the lunch box that used to belong to Kelly and handed it to his daughter. He fought to control the tears threatening to spill over.

Buffy gingerly took the box from his barely shaking hands. She was suddenly overcome with sympathy for the man in front of her. He may be the parent in their relationship, but he looked like he was suffering more than she was. All because of a decision that her mom made years ago.

Watching him struggle with his emotions, she made a choice. One she prayed she wouldn't regret. Her head and heart were screaming at each other about the danger she was putting herself in, but her heart finally won out. Setting the box down, she stood and moved to hug Gibbs. _**'No,'**_ she mentally corrected herself, _**'her dad.'**_ He deserved a chance to be that for her.

Gibbs stood there frozen as he watched this strong, independent woman who used to be his little fairy princess. His heart sunk when she set the box aside without even looking in it and the stab of rejection when she stood up. He was sure that she was going to go up the stairs and leave. And the worst part was that he didn't even know what he did to cause this reaction.

Then his world was turned upside down again when he felt her arms circle his waist and her head rest on his chest. That was what broke his control. He clutched her tightly and started crying softly in her hair. He wasn't sure what she was offering him, but whatever it was, he would take it – no matter the cost.

-----------------------------

**Kitchen**

Giles and Ducky watched as Oz tilted his head to the side as if he was hearing something. Before they could ask, they saw him give a small smile of satisfaction. Whatever he heard, it made Buffy's friend and pack member happy and they could only take that as a good thing.

Oz looked at the basement door with a thoughtful expression before turning back to the others. "I think we should get dinner started for them. Whenever they finish up down there, I'm guessing that they'll be pretty wiped and needing some food."

-----------------------------

A/N: Next…Not sure yet. I'm thinking I should deal a little with them growing closer before moving to a supernatural problem that requires Buffy's attention.


	17. Chapter 16: A New Beginning

**Chapter 16: A New Beginning**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: Bunny is my what? by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal, CindyB, and AshDawnSoulmates.

**Posted In Honor of the 38****th**** recommendation and 71000****th**** hit on TtH!**

-----------------------------

**Gibbs' Home**

When dinner was ready, the guys called Gibbs and Buffy up to eat. They sat down with a myriad of silent looks shooting around the table – everyone attempting to talk about what happened without actual _words_. As expected, Buffy was the first to grow impatient with it.

"So you all know that Gibbs is my dad, right?" she broke the ice in that flippant way of hers.

Ducky's eyes lit up now that the topic had been broached. "Yes. It's quite fascinating to discover. You two have had a chance to talk about it?" he inquired kindly at the two people he cared about most – outside his mother and Rupert. He received nods in return as they drank in unison from their cups. Ducky smiled at the motion and saw young Oz's upturned lips as well.

"May I ask how this will affect your working relationship?" Giles asked, wondering just how much they had talked down there. He was still reeling from the fear that he might be replaced in Buffy's life by this man – her father.

Buffy set down her silverware and looked around the table. "Well, I had an idea about that. To get the most out of this learning experience, I was thinking maybe I should do a round robin kind of deal. You know, spend some time with Abby, then Ducky, maybe MTAC, even go out with different teams. I know Gibbs' team is the best, but I'd probably still benefit from working with other group dynamics as well – see what works best. It could help us in forming our own teams," she finished in a very logical and seemingly un-Buffy-like manner – except for those who _truly_ knew her.

Looking down at his plate to hide his disappointment, Gibbs spoke as neutrally as he could, "You don't think that it will look strange? Just suddenly changing the plans like that?"

She shrugged, "Not really. I mean, I haven't been here that long. I don't even have a desk yet. Hopefully, this way, when it comes out that you're my dad, there won't be any concern that I got my position on your team because of our relationship," she added.

Gibbs let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. She accepted that their relationship would come out at some point, and she didn't seem distressed by it. "Then it isn't because you don't want to work with me?" he checked, inwardly bracing himself for the worst. He couldn't seem to help his ping-ponging emotions this evening.

Buffy must have recognized something in his voice, though. She smiled at him and replied easily, "Nah. I'm guessing that working together would be the easiest way to get to know you. Most of my friendships are tied to work somehow, so it's not that unusual for me."

Wanting to ease the tension that was growing, Ducky remarked offhandedly, "That reminds me, we didn't get to see you spar with Ziva yesterday. Do you think that we could take care of that tomorrow? The poor girl is just about going out of her mind, wondering what the match would be like, seeing as how you took down Tony so easily."

That caught Giles' attention. He knew that Ziva was Director David's daughter; a match between his Slayer and the Mossad agent should prove quite interesting to watch. "I would like to see you fight again. I haven't had a chance to critique you against someone else for some time now, except our own matches. And it's much different to watch from afar."

Smirking at her Watcher, Buffy teased, "You mean it's _safer_ that way." That earned a chuckle from Ducky and an Oz expression that equaled amused. Gibbs just sat there, feeling left out of the joke – despite having firsthand knowledge of her fighting abilities.

Trying to look offended, Giles went on, "Regardless, I would like to see this before I head back to England."

Buffy's face fell at his announcement. "You're going back so soon?"

"There's a lot to do back at the Council. I really just came because the nature of my information made me believe that a personal visit was best," he tried to say as matter-of-factly as possible, not wanting her to guess the real reason for his departure.

Buffy looked at him, pinning him with her gaze, and he fought to keep from fidgeting. Fortunately, she must have decided now wasn't the time to deal with this and let it go. However, he wasn't so foolish as to believe that it would be forgotten once they were alone.

-----------------------------

**Later at Buffy & Giles' Hotel**

As soon as they got to Giles' room, Buffy pounced, "Is that really the reason or is there something going on that you can't talk to me about in front of Gibbs?"

Giles looked down uncomfortably, unhappy to have to show his weakness. "I just thought you might need some time alone with your father without me getting in the way," he said, incapable of hiding the concern in his voice.

Her eyes narrowed before she pulled him into a Slayer hug. "You would _never_ be in the way! Don't you know by now that you are the _most_ important person in the world to me? Even if Gibbs becomes my 'dad' and we were really close, he will never take your place. You got it?" she demanded fiercely.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Giles returned the hug just as strongly as he could. "I'm sorry, Buffy. It was just a momentary jealous lapse. But I really _do_ need to get back to the Council."

He pulled away to pour them a drink as she moved to the couch. Handing her a glass, he continued, "And even if you don't see me as being in the way, I would guess that your father does. I have a feeling that he'd like to get to know you without competing with all your friends for your attention – _especially_ me. Now, since you don't seem particularly emotional about having a new father, it may be best to be considerate of his feelings."

Buffy nodded her agreement, then added, "As long as it doesn't cause you to doubt how I feel about _you_." She was rewarded with a smile and a kiss on her temple. Then they leaned back and began discussing Council and everyday stuff until Buffy decided that she needed to get some rest before work the next morning.

-----------------------------

**Ziva's Apartment**

When she first asked Amit Hadar about checking up on a new NCIS liaison, he was very enthusiastic about helping her out. That was until she mentioned the liaison's name: Buffy Summers. The resulting silence on the other end of the line made Ziva wonder if something had happened to her old mentor/friend.

Ziva spoke sharply to get his attention, "Hadar, are you alright?"

"I am fine, Ziva. Listen to me very carefully. You are to cease investigating Buffy Summers at once!" he commanded forcefully, hoping she would heed his warning.

"I don't understand. She is fitting in with the group so easily; I fear she may be a mole of some kind. It isn't right how quickly they are accepting her," she commented, trying to sound professional instead of jealous.

He barked back, "It does not matter, Ziva! If you cannot follow that instruction, your father will bring you back to the Mossad…_immediately_." His voice softened then, "It would serve you well – and the Mossad – if you were able to befriend Miss Summers. At the very least, observe her and learn from her."

Ziva hung up a few minutes later, still fuming about Hadar's warning. She pushed aside her furniture so that she could do some mediation exercises to calm down. After about 15 minutes, she was no calmer, but the phone rang, breaking her concentration. As much as she wanted to ignore it, something told her that she needed to answer.

Apparently that 'something' was her self-preservation, seeing as how it was her father, Eli David, Director of the Mossad. He basically just repeated Hadar's words – only not as kindly. If she didn't know better, it almost sounded as if her father was both impressed with and afraid of Buffy Summers.

Ziva bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming in frustration at the situation she found herself in. Maybe she could do something about it, if she could convince the little blonde to do that sparring match that had been postponed the day before. After all, Ziva had been able to beat her at firearms; there was no reason to think she couldn't do the same in hand to hand. The fact that Buffy beat Tony wasn't anything to be concerned about. Ziva could do the same with one hand tied behind her back.

-----------------------------

A/N: It's a shorter chapter, but I need the transition to get to the next day. Also, this helped spur Musie back into action.

A/N2: Next…Mossad girl gets a smackdown.


	18. Chapter 17: A New Respect

**Chapter 17: A New Respect**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belong to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: _Bunny is my what?_ by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal, AshDawnSoulmates and CindyB.

**Posted In Honor of the 41****st**** recommendation, over 415 reviews and over 78,000 hits on TtH! Not to mention 39 favs and 80 alerts on ! You guys are sure making me feel loved!!!**

-----------------------------

**NCIS Gym**

In order to keep a mob from descending on the gym, Gibbs' team was 'called away' while Giles was taken on a tour by the Director and Ducky. Meanwhile, Abby just slipped away from her lab for a little bit. The Director cleared the gym before anyone could see what was going on.

The spectators talked – and betted – quietly while the fighters warmed up and set the terms of the match. Buffy figured since she did best two out of three with Gibbs – her dad – that it would be good enough for the Mossad officer as well. Although, by the look in the woman's eye, Buffy'd have a tough fight on her hands. That is, if she allowed it instead of just ending it quickly. But she wanted a chance to learn the fighting techniques of the people she'd be working with. As well as getting satisfaction for having to hide her abilities at the shooting range the day before yesterday.

They started out with some simple kicks and hits from various forms, as Ziva was trying to throw Buffy off balance. However, Buffy just flowed with the movements, and after a few minutes, she did a sweep that landed Ziva on her back. Annoyed, the already tense officer decided to switch to the more vicious form of Krav Maga in order to take down her rival.

Buffy was startled but not terribly surprised by the change, knowing that the other woman felt threatened by her presence in the group – just like when Kendra and Faith came to Sunnydale. Not to mention when Tara joined the Scoobies and what it did to Oz. She just hoped Officer David got over it before she got tired of playing nice.

Gibbs sat up in concern when he saw the shift in the fight. He knew firsthand that his daughter was tough, but when _he_ sparred with her, there was no attempt to injure going on. Somehow, he didn't think he could say the same thing now. At least not on Ziva's side. He only hoped it wasn't personal – that she just was letting loose on an opponent that she thought could take it.

Giles noticed Gibbs' motion and laid a hand on his arm, indicating it wasn't a problem for _their_ girl. Buffy could take care of herself. Personally, he was interested in seeing how the Mossad Director's daughter would fare against his Slayer. Though he had no love for the man personally, he did run a formidable group – one that kept trying to get a Slayer to join without success.

Even so, everyone winced as some of Ziva's hits connected and one of her kicks managed to split Buffy's lip. That's when Buffy decided to end things; not for herself, but for those watching. Okay, if she was honest, she was starting to get irritated and didn't want the Slayer to push her way forward. So, with a quick flip over her shoulder, Buffy threw her opponent onto the mat.

As Ziva got up, Buffy saw the glare she sent her way and sighed inwardly; her Slayer might be satisfied now, but she probably just made things ten times worse with the brunette by doing so. She'd have to figure out some way to win Officer David over without sacrificing her own pride in the process.

Ziva couldn't help the glare she threw at the blonde, but it was aimed more at herself than at Buffy Summers. In spite of Hadar and her father's warnings, she had insisted in allowing her anger to taint her actions. And now _she_ would be the one to suffer for it – since she drew blood on a fellow teammate in what was _supposed_ to be a friendly match.

Knowing how others might react to her bloodied lip, Buffy stepped forward and gushed, "Thanks for the great workout, Officer David! It's been a long time since I could cut loose like that. Too many times people think that blood is a sign of badness. Personally, I just see it was a sign of respect for my abilities."

Seeing what Buffy was trying to do, Giles quickly agreed, "Indeed. I know some of Buffy's past sparring partners continued to hold back – even _after_ seeing what she could handle. Needless to say, none of us could respect someone who couldn't respect Buffy. Therefore, none of us were too sorry to see him-- erm, _them_ go."

Buffy looked over at her Watcher, laughing at his slip. "You can say his name, Giles. My broken heart isn't broken anymore. That is, if it ever was; I think it was more a matter of bad timing on his part. Riley was and always will be a bloody pillock for leaving the way he did and everything he's done and said since."

Giles tried to look stern and was failing. "Buffy! Language! Even if it's true, there's no reason for you to be so blunt about it in front of others."

Tony decided to get in on the conversation. "So, your old boyfriend was your punching bag? …And I didn't mean it the way it came out," he said with a grimace.

She waved it off. "Nah, I understand. Once upon a time – in a twisted kinda fairy tale – his group and ours worked in the same area for a while. He and I were Romeo and Juliet bridging the groups together. Except for the double suicide part. There was an attempted 'friendly fire' incident though. That was the last time we worked _together_-together," she explained, gesturing with her fingers for air quotes.

"The next time we met up, they tried to detain us until we had to save their asses when their operation went to hell. After that, the groups tried to avoid each other professionally, but Riley and I kept trying the romance thing. Except…I don't think he could ever accept that I was, and probably always would be, better at 'his job' than he was," Buffy finished, again indicating air quotes. "So, we went our separate ways under less than desirable circumstances and that was it."

She looked around the group sheepishly before quipping in faux-lecture mode, "Hereby ends this lesson on Buffy Summers' tragic love life. Please forget everything you've heard, but remember the moral of the story: _'I respect those who respect me.'_…most of the time. I suppose it would depend on if they were respectable to begin with. I mean, I'm sure that Willy the Snitch respected me somehow, but it's not like--"

"Buffy dear, you're babbling," Giles interrupted with a smirk.

"Oops. Thanks for the catch." Turning to her father, she asked, "So, what's on the agenda for today, big guy?"

Gibbs was still trying to figure out the story. He wondered if _that_ Riley was the same one from the phone call yesterday. Then, recalling her plan from the night before, he suggested, "Well, I think it would be best to coordinate your schedule for your time here. Did you need to get Mr. Giles to the airport at a certain time?" he offered, trying not to appear anxious to get rid of his rival for his daughter's affections.

Shaking his head, Giles answered instead of Buffy, "That's quite alright. I'm just going to take a taxi. I only wanted to watch the sparring before I left. We've said our farewells already."

Buffy pouted momentarily. "Unfortunately…Just be sure to keep me update on the situation over there, 'k?" she demanded, hugging him and kissing his cheek.

"And you too, my dear girl," Giles murmured, returning the embrace with a kiss on the forehead. "I shall make my departure now so you can get back to earning your keep," he teased.

Ducky took his friend and protégé so he could walk him out, while the rest of the group followed behind.

-----------------------------

McGee held Buffy back as they started to leave the gym. "Umm, Buffy? I was wondering if I could ask a favor?" he inquired, looking nervous.

Buffy just smiled at the shy computer genius. "Sure, Tim, whatcha need?"

"Do you think you could teach me some of those fighting moves? Not the ones where you ended up bleeding, but the other ones?" he quickly clarified, involuntarily cringing at the blood drying on her lip.

"Can I ask why you want to learn?" she inquired, wanting to make a point if necessary.

Startled, McGee replied as if the answer should be obvious, "So I can defend myself in the field."

Buffy looked at him pointedly as she told him, "Then the _bloody_ moves are the ones to learn. But we can start slow if it makes you feel better."

McGee considered what she said and thought it was good Gibbs wasn't around, or else he'd get smacked in the head for being so dense. "Thanks, Buffy," he finally said. "I'd appreciate that."

"No problem. Can I ask why you haven't asked one of the others this yet?" she wondered, thinking that this should have be handled some time ago if it were a problem.

"Honestly? Gibbs is way too intimidating; Tony would just make fun of me; and Ziva scares the hell out of me sometimes," he explained with a shudder.

Buffy raised an eyebrow at that. "And I don't? I just beat her, you know," she pointed out.

McGee shrugged, as if that had nothing to do with it, "Maybe, but you're much more approachable somehow."

"It's the blonde hair, isn't it?" she asked with a laugh. She realized that it was probably the same thing as one of the Scoobies wanting to learn from someone other than her or Giles. They were just larger than life in some way.

She shook her head to clear the thought. Then Buffy started to get a little wicked idea. She had seen the furtive looks between the resident computer freaks and wondered about it. "Seriously though, do you mind if Abby joins us? When she finds out I'm training you, she'll bug me until I train her too."

"It's okay with me, I guess." As they started their way out of the gym, he asked, "Do you know why she's so taken with you? She's barely started to warm up to Ziva, and it's been months since she's joined us."

Sighing, Buffy ventured a guess, "Well, the most obvious answer is that I'm not replacing anyone like Officer David did with Agent Todd. And, I probably shouldn't say this, but Abby and I met at a club the night before we did here. A couple guys were hassling her and I helped get rid of them. We just sorta hit it off after that."

McGee was puzzled by her explanation. "What's the big secret about that? The way the two of you were acting, we thought you were spies or something."

"You'd have to ask Abby for sure, but from what I could tell, it was yours and Gibbs' fault," she alleged, still feeling that wickedness from before.

"What do you mean?" he demanded in confusion.

Ignoring the bit about McGee, Buffy explained Gibbs first, "I get the feeling that where Abby's concerned, Gibbs can be kind of a Papa Bear – you know, with the growly, overprotective nature. Maybe she was just worried that he'd lecture her or surround her in bubble wrap or something if he found out."

McGee couldn't help but agree with that assessment. "And me?" he ventured.

"That's obvious…she thought you'd be jealous." She pretended to look worried by her announcement. "Oh, should I not have said that? Forget it! I in _no_ way meant to indicate that she was interested in you or that you might be interested back." Then she walked ahead, smirking to herself as she left the stunned agent standing there.

-----------------------------

A/N: Next…Settling in.


	19. Chapter 18: A New Lifestyle

**Chapter 18: A New Lifestyle**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: Bunny is my what? by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB.

**Posted In Honor of the 86000****th**** hit and over 1000 readers tracking on TtH!**

-----------------------------

**The next day at NCIS…**

Director Shepard was surprised when Buffy announced her plans to rotate through the different departments of NCIS, but since her orders from higher up were to cooperate fully, she couldn't deny what appeared to be a reasonable request. After all, the point was to learn the model of group organization from them. But still, she had to ask, "So Buffy, why do you suddenly want to study the other parts of NCIS? Are you _already_ unhappy on Gibbs' team?" she added with a smirk in the man's direction.

Buffy smiled at her dad as she shook her head, "No. Things are fine. But seeing Giles again reminded me of what my overall goal here is supposed to be."

"And that is?" Shepard prodded, trying to get a lock on her.

"To learn how to put together an entire investigative organization, not just a team. While I'm sure I can learn a lot being on Gibbs' team, it wouldn't give me all the information we need."

Buffy grinned at the other two before confiding, "Personally, I'd rather stick with the different teams, but it's my duty to make the UC the best it can be. And that means learning the boring stuff too." Gibbs snickered at her undiplomatic slip. "Oh, I'm sorry if I offended you. It's just…well, I'd rather beat someone up than schmooze them for info."

Shepard just laughed at her apology. "You'll do very well with Gibbs with that attitude. In fact, probably the only reason he wasn't considered for my job was he wouldn't be able to bite his tongue during the more political dealings I have to handle."

Deciding to interrupt their little bonding moment, Gibbs interjected, "I have an idea that should keep you from going completely nuts, Buffy. When you finish one of the administrative areas, you should switch to working with a team. That way you can unwind between the 'boring' assignments," he teased lightly, surprising Shepard.

But Buffy perked up at his suggestion. "Actually, that a great idea. Thanks, Gibbs. Now…how long should I expect to have to work in each section before I get a good grasp on how it works?" she inquired.

Shepard considered the question, then answered honestly, "It would probably vary, but it usually takes new department heads four to six weeks to get things under control. Of course, they have the advantage of being familiar with those areas to begin with, so you should plan on longer than that," she warned, wondering what this woman's real end goal was. Her time in this line of work made her doubt _everyone's_ motive – especially their 'allies'.

Buffy shrugged it off, responding easily, "That's okay, we're not _exactly_ in a rush. I mean, we do want to do this as fast as we can, but we don't want to cut any corners either. The most important thing for us is to get this right for future generations. And we accept that it won't happen overnight. That's why I'll probably be doing this sort of thing for the rest of my life – just with different organizations," she added as an afterthought.

"Like who?" Shepard asked, wondering about her connections again.

"Don't know. That's for the brainiacs to figure out; I just go where they tell me to," Buffy said with a fake smile. It had just dawned on her that this _would_ be her life from now on. But maybe she'd have a longer life if she wasn't actively slaying full-time anymore.

"So, do you want to start with my team, or someplace else?" Gibbs checked, trying to keep the hopeful tone out of his voice. It either worked or Shepard didn't notice.

Buffy did, but that might have been because she was expecting it. "You know, I think I'd rather get the worst part over with first."

Shepard thought over the different departments and what _she_ considered the worst job. "Ducky's morgue?" she guessed.

"Actually, I was thinking your office," Buffy answered, wincing at the thought of playing nice with a bunch of people she couldn't stand. `She quickly tacked on, "Nothing against you personally, just that ass-kissing stuff. I'll have to deal with it back at the Council too, only on a more international basis."

"I understand, it gets to me too, sometimes," Shepard replied, wondering if she should feel insulted or not.

-----------------------------

**Later that day, in a park…**

Gibbs and Buffy had to sneak away that afternoon to see an inquisitive Fornell.

Knowing that there was no point in keeping it quiet from him, Gibbs proudly introduced his daughter for the first time, remembering to use her new name and not the one she was born with. "Fornell, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Buffy Summers. Buffy, this is the FBI agent who brought your past to my attention, Tobias Fornell."

Buffy smiled at the name. Thank goodness people around here had just as strange of names as she did. "So you're the guy who caused all the excitement, huh?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Not sure how to take her tone, Fornell defended himself, "I didn't cause it; I only told your dad about it."

"What now? Are you going to tell anyone else about this?" Buffy demanded, still looking inscrutable to the FBI agent.

Fornell looked over at his friend for a clue how to answer her. "Is there a reason why you want it kept quiet?" he checked carefully.

"We just want to get to know each other without the whole world watching our every move," Gibbs explained.

"You mean the Director, don't you?" Fornell shot back shrewdly. He knew of Shepard and Gibbs' romantic past. And he was willing to bet that the lady didn't know that Gibbs had a child, much less a grown one.

Gibbs shrugged off the suggestion, though. "Among others. Listen, Buffy has a job to do. My being her dad has nothing to do with that. So, can you stay quiet or not?" he asked with a glint in his eyes – one that Fornell knew he meant business.

Fornell put his hands up in surrender. "Hey, the only reason I said anything in the first place was because I thought you deserved to know the truth."

"And I appreciate that," Gibbs told his friend, his gratitude clear.

"And so do I," Buffy added. "I may not have known Hank wasn't my father, and I don't know why my mom did what she did, but it's good to know the truth. And Ducky says I couldn't ask for a better dad than Gibbs," she said with a warm smile at her dad.

Fornell wasn't too surprised that the ME knew. The man was probably the closest thing to a father-figure in Gibbs' life. Mike was too far away and Gibbs' real dad was pretty much out of the picture. "So _Ducky_ knows? Anyone else?"

Buffy answered him this time, "Just a couple people on my side. Once I've established that I deserve to be at NCIS based on my own, then we can make it known to everyone else there."

"You know it's going to ruffle some feathers," Fornell warned his buddy.

Gibbs just glared, not necessarily at Fornell, though. "They'll have to deal with it. I got my daughter back; however she wants to handle this is up to her. I'm just glad to be in her life."

Something about the way he said that bothered Buffy. "Why would you say that?" she inquired.

Mentally smacking his own head, Gibbs said with just a touch of hesitation, "Uhh, your friend, Giles, said that I had three strikes against me already: your past with Hank, the military and law enforcement."

Buffy rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh. "He has a big mouth. But he's right; if it weren't for Ducky's high opinion of you, and my own observations of you with your team, I might not be willing to give you a chance to hurt me like they did."

Sensing that this was possibly turning into a private moment, Fornell made his goodbyes, "I'll let you two go. Thanks for letting me know that the report was right. I look forward to getting to know you better, Miss Summers. Take care of your dad; he has a bad habit of getting himself into trouble," he ordered the small blonde, smirking at his friend as he did so.

"We'll have to watch out for each other then. I have that same problem," Buffy replied with a laugh. For a cop, this guy wasn't so bad…yet. And since he was watching out for her dad, she was willing to cut him some slack.

-----------------------------

**A week later…**

Buffy talked to Oz about sharing a place to live, now that he was working for the Council, too. When they discussed it with Giles, They opted to buy a house instead of renting. That way they didn't need to worry about any 'modifications' they would need to make to it.

Given the expense of owning a home in the DC area, it would take a sizable chunk of change to get a suitable place. But they justified it by saying it would be available to whoever was stationed there in the future.

And quite honestly, it was nothing compared to the excesses of the old Council. Really! What did Travers need three homes for anyway? They could sell just _one_ of those to pay for the DC one.

Once the decision of which house to buy was made, Buffy debated the issue of who to get to handle the remodeling. After going over her options, she finally decided to call Jack Ryan and ask for his assistance. She figured that he could put her in touch with people who would keep quiet about their more _interesting_ improvements. Which he was more than happy to do.

"So, now that that's settled, how are you doing, Buffy?" Jack asked after he gave her some contractors' names, reminding her that this was an informal conversation now.

Buffy took a sip of the coffee she was handed earlier. "Just fine, Jack," she replied casually.

Glad that she was able to talk to him like a normal person without him ordering her to, Jack decided to push his luck. "And that personal issue the last time we talked?" he checked – gently in case she didn't want to talk about it.

She sat back on the couch, knowing that he had the right to know. "Turns out that Agent Gibbs is my biological father. Twenty years ago, my mom chose to enter the Witness Protection Program and let him think we died in a car wreck. A friend of his was checking me out and came across the WPP flag on my file." She wasn't sure if Fornell would get in trouble for what he did, but she didn't want to risk it anyway.

But Jack wasn't even worried about that. "How's that going to change you plans? Obviously, you're still planning to stick around," he pointed out.

"It's not changing anything. Not unless you have a problem with it," she added. "Only a handful of people know right now. Even the NCIS Director doesn't know."

"Particular reason why?" Now he was curious if there was a problem at NCIS.

"I don't want anyone thinking I got this gig because he's my dad," Buffy answered bluntly. "Once people realize I earned it, I don't care if it comes out or not. But to make it easier on us, I've switched my plans at NCIS. I won't be working with just his team now; I'll be learning the in's and out's from all the sections. It's a better plan anyway. I'm starting with the Director's office," she finished with a grimace.

Jack chuckled at her expression. She had the same attitude towards politics that he did. "Guess that means I'll be seeing you at some of the official functions then," he couldn't help but tease her.

Buffy glared at him. "Stop laughing! But it makes sense; I need to learn how to play nice with others," she admitted reluctantly, however she managed to pout as she did so.

The President smiled, mostly because she felt comfortable enough in his presence to glare at him. "Well, I eagerly await it, and I know Cathy is dying to meet you, too. By the way, thank you for letting me tell her about you," he said gratefully.

"Hey, I'm sure you have enough things you have to keep from her; there's no reason to add me to the mix. Besides, you said she can handle it," she added, almost as a question.

Which is how Jack took it. "To be honest, _neither_ of us is too thrilled about teenage girls having to do what you do," he answered. "But we do feel better knowing that they have somebody who understands what they're going through looking out for them. That reminds me, how did Faith take the news of her release?" he inquired, trying to suppress a chuckle.

Buffy rolled her eyes when she remembered the fuss Faith made. "She complained…until I told her why we needed her out. Somehow, I don't think I've heard the last of it though," she complained half-heartedly. She actually looked forward to seeing Faith again.

"As long as the situation is taken care of first. Do you think she'll have any trouble?" he asked, just a little worried.

Shaking her head, Buffy reassured him, "Nah, the team we sent to join her is one of the best. They'll have it cleaned up before you know it."

-----------------------------

**As time goes on…**

The first political event Buffy was supposed to attend happened to be the night of the full moon. Although he _mostly_ had control of his wolf, Oz didn't want to risk it when he was near the President. That meant Buffy had to find someone else to take her.

She considered – and rejected immediately – her dad, remembering that he was no good at schmoozing. Since the only other guys she really knew were the team and Ducky, she chose Ducky. It wasn't that she had anything against the older gentleman, but it certainly would fuel those rumors about them.

By the time the evening was over, she completely understood her dad's aversion to those things. Most of the people were okay, but then there were the ones like former VP, Ed Kealty. That sleaze made her _teeth_ itch. She was almost convinced he was some kind of demon, but Ducky reluctantly assured her he was only the worst example of human evil. It took over an hour of scrubbing in the hottest shower she could stand before she felt clean again.

Unfortunately for her, the plan to do the circuit quickly and be done with it when she moved to Gibbs' team didn't work out like she wanted. Apparently, enough of the Beltway crowd was intrigued by the new NCIS liaison, and that caused the invitations to keep pouring in. Which Giles encouraged her to accept as often as possible, assuming she was able to remain apolitical about it.

When she felt she _had_ to RSVP positively, her escort was usually Oz or Ducky. After getting to know some more men from the Capitol, she would accept their offers – with the firm understanding that it was only casual; she wasn't interested in a relationship with anyone.

It wasn't long before Gibbs grew jealous of the people who spent most of his daughter's free nights with her. Finally, he surprised her by asking to escort her to a dinner party being given by George Winston, the Secretary of the Treasury. She accepted gratefully, and even though there were people who bugged the heck out of him, he thought it was still worth it to spend time with Buffy.

After that, he was one of her more frequent escorts to other various outings – much to Buffy's amusement, and to someone else's displeasure.

-----------------------------

A/N: Next…Buffy gets a student.


	20. Chapter 19: CoConspirator

**Chapter 19: A New Co-Conspirator**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: Bunny is my what? by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB, although this chapter is done without their input. I just had to put it out there right away.

A/N3: I'm sorry, I know I promised the students, but this baby bunny hopped on my computer and insisted I take care of it. Luciana Bocera ('Bow-sara' long 'o' sound) is an OC of mine.

centera href=".com/albums/vv113/mlbramucci/?action=view¤t;=fangfetish_" target="_blank"img src=".com/albums/vv113/mlbramucci/fangfetish_" border="0" alt="Fang Fetish Nomination"/a

**Posted In Honor of the - on TtH!**

-----------------------------

**Ducky's home**

"So, this is the Buffy I keep hearing about!" Ducky's mother declared when she was finally introduced to Buffy one evening before dinner.

Unsure about what had been said, Buffy answered hesitantly, "Umm, maybe?"

Enjoying the look on the young woman's face, as well as that on her son's, Mother Mallard taunted them both, "For the past few weeks, all it's been is _'Buffy this'_ and _'Buffy that'_."

Ducky wanted the earth to open up and swallow him. Course, maybe he should be careful with thoughts like that. "Really, Mother! You make it sound like more than it is," he admonished her, worried that Buffy would think he wanted a different relationship with her than they had.

She just brushed aside his concerns, and shooed him out of the room, "You hush! Leave us alone; I wish to get to know her better."

Ducky apologized to Buffy as he left, but she just smiled in return at him. She knew there wasn't anything like that to their relationship, so she concentrated on how to break the news to the other woman.

Buffy sat down on a nearby chair before asking, "What would you like to know?"

"I know that you make my boy happy, but are you _good_ enough for him?" she demanded shrewdly. The elder woman wanted her son to have somebody, but not if they would turn around and hurt him.

"Honestly? No. But our relationship isn't like that anyway," Buffy replied as kindly as she could.

Mother Mallard narrowed her eyes at the young woman and demanded crossly, "Why? What's wrong with him?"

Buffy wasn't upset by the anger in the woman's voice; she expected it. "Nothing! Like I said before, though, _I'm_ not the right woman for him. He's much too refined and sophisticated for someone like me." Before the older woman could object, Buffy continued, "Sure, he can take me to the Opera and other cultural things like it. And maybe I could even learn enough to carry on intelligent discussions with him about them. But I would never have the same passion for them as he does, and he deserves somebody who does, don't you think?" she concluded gently.

"But he seems so taken with you!" Mother Mallard insisted, not wanting to give up so easily.

Shaking her head, Buffy explained, "Purely as a…" she hesitated over the wording, "…an uncle. Maybe a _roguish_ uncle," she teased, happy to see the old woman's eyes twinkle in response.

The elderly woman sighed, disappointed again. Then she had a thought, "What about your mother? Is she available?"

"Mom died a few years ago. But now that I think about it, there may be someone…" Buffy trailed off.

Mother Mallard sat back up, excited by the possibility of a new woman. "Who?"

Buffy brought her attention back to the other woman. "A semi-retired member of the Council I work for. I met her while I lived in Italy. She is the only child of a famous Opera baritone. He was killed at the end of WWII when it was discovered that he was running an underground railroad for the political enemies of Mussolini. They captured him and publicly executed him. Fortunately, Luciana and her mother were able to make their escape," she finished sadly, but at the same time, happy for her Italian friend.

"But she would be too old to have children if she were alive during the Second Great War," Mother Mallard announced, dismissing the idea.

"Does _Ducky_ really want children so badly?" Buffy pointed out, almost certain she knew the answer already.

That caused the older woman to hesitate. Then she confessed her real concern, "I don't know, but I don't want him to be alone when I die."

Buffy hurried to assure her, "He won't be. He has me and my friend Giles. And there are also the people he works with; a lot of them love him like he's family, too. And I know some of my other friends wouldn't mind being 'adopted' by such a wonderful man and his equally caring mother," she added thoughtfully.

Mother Mallard's eyes grew bright with moisture. "Truly? And this woman? Luciana…" she prompted, still unwilling to give up on the idea of her son having a woman to love as she loved his father.

"Bocera. Who knows? But I can invite her to come visit and we can see if there are any sparks," Buffy suggested with an evil smile. Well, it would have been evil if it were under different circumstances.

The elder woman nodded her head, approving of this young lady, even if she wasn't going to be _the_ woman in her son's life. "What do you think?" she asked, hoping there was a chance.

Buffy thought about it for a minute, then commented, "Well, he's my 'uncle' and she's my 'aunt'; it only makes sense that they get together. And she really is better suited for him than I am – or really any of the women in his life that I know of," she added honestly.

"So you'll call her?" Mother Mallard pushed.

"Tomorrow. I promise," Buffy vowed with a smile.

Mother Mallard sat back in her seat, relieved for the first time in years. "Good, now tell me more about yourself. We'll see about getting you the right man. Maybe I can have _great_-grandchildren, even if I can't have grandchildren."

Buffy just rolled her eyes at the outspoken lady and giggled. They talked for a while, until Ducky carefully poked his head in the door to check on them. Buffy waved him over, winked at 'Mama' Mallard, and remarked casually that they were just finishing up the wedding plans.

The two women burst out laughing at the look of shock on the poor man's face. When he realized they were only teasing him, he shook his head in mock despair. He was astonished that Buffy had been able to not only survive his mother, but joined forces with her. Then his mock despair turned real; he stood no chance against the two of them.

-----------------------------

A/N: Next…The students. (I promise!)


	21. Chapter 20: A New Set of Students

**Chapter 20: A New Set of Students**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: Bunny is my what? by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... AshDawnSoulmates, zigpal and CindyB.

**Posted In Honor of the 490****th**** review and almost 100,000 hits on TtH!**

-----------------------------

**One week after the reveal…**

When Buffy and Oz got settled into their new home, Tim and Abby began coming over for their training. They both turned out to be very good students. In Abby's case, it was because she knew what she was training for. In Tim's…well, he just didn't want to look bad in front of Abby.

**NCIS Bullpen**

"So Probie, where were you last night? I stopped by your place, and you weren't there," Tony pounced on Tim Monday morning as he sat at his desk.

Tim froze; he didn't like lying, but he didn't really want to tell the truth: that he was setting up a physical training schedule with Buffy. "I was--"

"…at my place. He and Abby came over for dinner with me and Oz," Buffy answered, walking past on her way up to Shepard's office.

Tony started pouting, "Not this again! Don't tell me, you've had _everyone_ over but me," he accused.

Buffy stopped and looked around the room in confusion, searching for an explanation for the agent's behavior. "Uh, no. Just those two. Since they're my favorite computer geeks at NCIS, I thought they could help Oz make plans for our set-up back at the Council," she told the team with a raised eyebrow in Tony's direction.

Now Tony looked embarrassed at his outburst. He couldn't help it; that had actually stung when Ziva had everyone to dinner except him.

She continued on, shrugging casually, "But I suppose we could have a housewarming party. Just a word of warning, though, the remodeling isn't done yet."

"That's cool. We can wait until it's done," Tony smiled, feeling much better about things now.

-----------------------------

Later that day, Tim tracked Buffy down to warn her, "I don't think Gibbs believed you before. He must think we're violating rule #12: _'Never date a co-worker'_," he explained when she asked. "He kept glaring at us whenever we were near each other."

Buffy rolled her eyes, guessing the real reason her dad was acting like a wounded bear. She promised herself to pay closer attention to the way he treated Tim and make him suffer if he was doing anything to make her friend uncomfortable because of her.

In the days after that, she noticed her dad glaring at Tim whenever she was around. Finally, she had enough and 'asked' him to join her in the 'conference room' – i.e. the elevator.

As soon as the doors closed, Gibbs got his own dose of a Slayer glare. It wasn't quite up to Ducky's that day in the morgue, but then, Buffy wasn't quite as angry…yet. She just wanted her dad to stop harassing her _friend_.

"Not that it's any of your business who I date, but I'm not seeing Tim – at least not romantically. We - are - just - friends," Buffy enunciated carefully. She sighed as her anger seeped away. "It's kinda sweet that you're worried and everything, but you _know_ Tim. If I actually was dating him, is he really the kind of guy that you would worry about?"

"I guess not," Gibbs allowed reluctantly. "But you being my daughter isn't the only reason I'd worry. Workplace romances are a bad idea."

Buffy agreed…partly, "I hear you. I've pretty much _only_ dated guys I worked with and they all turned out bad. On the other hand, I have seen some great workplace relationships. And sometimes the people you work with are the only ones who can handle your life. It's a risk, but I think a good one – as long as you're careful about it."

Before he could say anything, she explained, "I get that you wouldn't want somebody sleeping their way through the office staff. Plus, there's the chain of command thing to worry about. But two _responsible_ co-workers shouldn't be discouraged from trying to find some happiness. It may blow up in your face, or it may give the pair something to live and fight for. 'Cause duty only gets you so far."

Deciding not to argue the point with her, Gibbs changed the subject by asking with a smirk, "So, are you saying that I can threaten your potential boyfriends?"

"Sure…" she allowed, then returned the smirk as she added, "As long as I get to do the same: threaten the women you date."

"No physical hurting, though," he told her, waving a finger in her face.

"Not unless they deserve it," she nodded. When he glared at her, she shrugged, "Hey, it's the best I can offer!"

Gibbs gave her a small hug and chuckled. "Deal."

-----------------------------

**Sometime down the road…**

The first change in Tim was only noticeable to those who were looking close. He hadn't gone shopping for new clothes yet and his old outfits hid his leaner body. His face was the last to change, but it too was beginning to slim down.

This gave Buffy endless amusement as she saw the furtive glances Abby sent his way when she thought no one would notice. But it was the outright ogling during their joint training that cracked Buffy and Oz up – although the latter was more internal about it – after they left.

Buffy decided those two _had_ to give their relationship another try. This was one of the couples she was specifically thinking about when she talked to her dad. Buffy thought she'd work on Tim and Abby first.

The other pair might cause a problem, so she wasn't as pushy about that one just yet. They were more volatile; she wasn't even sure if they _should_ be together; just that there was enough sexual tension between them to choke a horse.

Besides, she still had Ducky and 'Lucy' to worry about. Well, _worry_ was the wrong word for it – apart from Mama Mallard continually trying to rent wedding chapels for them. That couple was definitely clicking, but there wasn't _that_ much need to rush them to the altar.

But back to Tim and Abby…what to do? Then she smirked; she had the perfect plan. Now she just had to put it into motion. Which she did one day when she found them in Abby's lab together.

"Hey guys! I was thinking…it would really help if you could do nightly Tai Chi katas. And it's best to do them with somebody else to keep a steady rhythm." Then Buffy paused, pretending to think about it. "But I don't think you should have to drive all the way out to my place; it's bad enough for the defense training in the morning. Maybe you could just get meet at one of your apartments instead," she suggested, hiding her amusement.

Tim looked up from the bench he was working at. "Just the two of us? You wouldn't be joining us?"

Buffy pouted, "Sadly, I have those stupid social obligations I have to go to. But maybe on the nights I don't."

"What do you say, Abby? I don't mind," Tim smiled in the Goth lab tech's direction.

Abby answered, stuttering slightly, which surprised Tim. "Uh, sure, that's cool." Then she buried her head back in whatever she was doing. Tim stared at her for a long while before getting back to his own work – occasionally sneaking glances at her, though.

Buffy grinned as she walked back to the Director's office. _**'Mission accomplished!'**_

-----------------------------

**A few weeks later…**

The first time anyone _noticed_ a change in Tim, the team was chasing a suspect. The small mountain of a man managed to push Tony out of his way and was barreling towards Tim as fast as he could. Remembering a move Buffy showed him, Tim ducked down as the guy got to him, then stood straight up, using his body as leverage and the man's speed as force.

The suspect was surprised when he woke up a few minutes later. The impact of his hitting the ground was so great that it actually knocked him out. It was a toss-up who was more stunned: the suspect or the team. The only one not shocked was Buffy; she had just joined the team for that part of her training.

"Great job, Tim!" Buffy praised him, then started her critique, "But you pushed with your back too hard to flip him. That left you vulnerable to an attack. All in all, though, excellent work for your first real life takedown." Abruptly, she went quiet, realizing she had said too much.

"You been training Probie?" Tony asked Buffy.

After getting a nod from Tim, Buffy answered, putting special emphasis on his name, "Yes, I've been training _Tim_."

Jealous that his agent got time with his daughter that he didn't, Gibbs turned on Tim and demanded, "How long?"

Surprised at his tone, Tim stuttered out, "We started just after she moved into her house, Boss."

Tony looked hurt. "Why didn't you say something?"

That made Tim snort, "And have you laugh at me? No, thanks."

The 'very Special Agent DiNozzo' started to deny it, but then realized that he probably would have.

"So that nonsense about a computer system was a firescreen?" Ziva guessed. She knew something smelled wrong about that whole story.

"Smokescreen, Ziva," Tony corrected automatically.

Ziva glared back at him. "Whatever."

"No. We really _do_ need help," Buffy said. "And it's just a good trade for us. They helped with the geek stuff and I helped with the violent stuff," she added with a self-deprecating grin.

Having learned more about the blonde woman over the past weeks, Tim knew what she was doing and rushed to assure everyone – _including_ her, "We learned more than just violence, Buffy. The meditative techniques have done wonders for my concentration…and Abby's as well."

Buffy brushed his praise aside, "Uh-huh. I still say that the Council came out ahead on the deal. If we had to pay for the consulting work you two did, the hourly fees would be wicked high."

Tony let out a laugh at the phrase, "You're even beginning to talk like Abby. Are you main-lining Caf-Pows, too?" he asked.

"Nah, still a coffee girl," Buffy shot back.

"Our hourly fee might be higher than yours would be for a martial arts instructor, but you work with us way more hours, so we probably owe you," Tim pointed out.

Not liking the way this conversation had shifted, Buffy quickly snapped, "Not happening. It helps the team, so it doesn't count. Even if it didn't, you're friends. Can't charge friends – especially since you're basically just working out at the same time as me," she tried again.

But Tim wouldn't let it go, "It's not exactly as simple as that."

"Close enough," she growled back.

Wanting to defuse the situation – as well as get the chance to spend more time with his daughter – Gibbs interjected, "Would you mind another student?"

"_You_, Boss?" Tony turned to Gibbs in surprise.

"Sure. It never hurts to keep in shape," Gibbs answered, feigning nonchalance. He breathed an inward sigh of relief when Buffy nodded her acceptance. The look in her eye told him that he didn't fool her, though.

"True," Tony agreed. Then he smiled charmingly at the blonde liaison. "Could you make that two? What about you, Ziva? Want to join us?" he asked with another smile in the brunette's direction.

Ziva only glared at him, insulted that he thought she needed training. It didn't matter that Buffy had beaten her before; to be her _student_ would just be salt in the wound. And that wasn't going to happen.

"How 'bout it, Ziva? I could always use a sparring partner," Buffy offered the Mossad agent a graceful way to accept without hurting her pride.

Nodding her head thoughtfully, Ziva replied as if she were the one granting a favor, "I suppose _sparring_ would be acceptable."

Buffy looked at her three new 'students'. She needed to set the ground rules upfront, "You guys would have to follow the same rules as the others do. Nothing too bad, but we have our way of doing things, and I'm not changing it for _any_ of you. We meet at my place at 5 am. If a case interferes with that, then we just work it in when we can. Be sure to wear something comfortable."

After that, things smoothed out somewhat between the two liaisons…at least on the surface. Ziva saw that Buffy wasn't trying to edge her off the team, but she was still concerned about the woman's motives for being there. It didn't help that Jenny was starting to get uneasy around her as well. Had something happened between them during Buffy's time in the Director's office?

-----------------------------

A/N: Next…A New Rival?


	22. Chapter 21: A New Rival, Part 1

**Chapter 21: A New Rival, Part 1**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way. Definitely in this chapter since Faith comes to visit.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: Bunny is my what? by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal and CindyB.

A/N3: This chapter and the next one are entirely flashbacks. And sorry for the long update wait. Just got distracted by other plot bunnies. CANON WARNING: There are some changes in canon for seasons 6 & 7 BtVS here, folks!

**Posted In Honor of the 126 story alerts and over 21,000 hits on ! Y'all make me feel so loved!**

-----------------------------

**Gibbs' house**

**2****nd**** full moon since Buffy arrived…**

Gibbs woke to hear motion downstairs. Grabbing his gun, he carefully snuck to the lower level. Not finding the intruder there – or any sign of forced entry – he continued to the basement.

What he found shocked him: his daughter was vigorously sanding down the boat…in an evening gown. The perplexed man reached into the nearby dryer to grab one of his t-shirts. Then he moved to join her.

"Buffy?" he called out carefully, so as to not startle her.

She looked over her shoulder at him. "Hey, Gibbs. Hope you don't mind, but I needed to calm down before heading home. Your place was the closest," she remarked, feeling kind of stupid for just showing up without calling.

Normally she'd patrol or meditate or something, but sadly, she was in the wrong clothing for either of those options. Then she remembered that she enjoyed working on the boat the night she found out Gibbs was her dad and came here to cool off.

Handing her the shirt so she could protect her dress, Gibbs inquired, "What happened?"

Buffy shrugged half-heartedly, "Just some trouble at the party tonight. No biggie," she tried to downplay it.

Unfortunately, she was dealing with a trained investigator. "What – happened?!" Gibbs ground out.

Sighing, Buffy set down the sandpaper and turned to look at her dad. "I had to go alone because Oz couldn't and Ducky was busy. Anyway, this sleaze took my lack of escort as an invitation to hit on me…repeatedly. Even though I tried to be polite about it, he refused to take the hint." She picked the sandpaper back up and started on the boat again to defuse her anger. "Finally, I had to break his wrist when he got too grabby."

Gibbs' eyes narrowed in rage. "Who?" he demanded, planning the ways he could get rid of the bastard.

But his daughter knew the tone and shook her head, "Uh-uh, you can't go after him. Besides, I think he's learned his lesson. At least where I'm concerned." Gibbs simply continued to glare at her. "Fine! It was Ed Kealty," she relented.

Now he understood why he couldn't go after the scum. Even Gibbs couldn't attack the former Vice President. Maybe if he had been there in person, but he wasn't. "Not that I'm excusing his behavior, but why didn't you ask someone else to take you? Why didn't you ask _me_?" he asked, hurt that she hadn't.

Buffy couldn't stop herself from laughing. When she finally got herself under control, she gasped out, "Correct me if I'm wrong here, but isn't the reason you aren't the Director because you suck at political schmoozing?"

Gibbs had to concede her point. "Usually, but it's different if I'm just somebody's escort. Anyway, I want to help you – even if it's just to keep predators like Kealty away."

"You sure?" He nodded. "Cool! I can use another guy. In fact, I think I'm about to lose Ducky to another woman soon," Buffy confided conspiratorially.

"Really? I haven't heard anything around the office," he replied. He might not actively engage in the office gossip, but he usually kept up with the goings on.

"That's 'cause it's new," she casually mentioned, before adding, "I know about her because I introduced them – much to the delight of Mama Mallard."

Gibbs let out his own chuckle, remembering his own dealings with the woman. "So you met Ducky's mother, huh? And she didn't scare you off?"

Buffy blew a raspberry, "Please! She just care about her son and his happiness. Once I convinced her that we weren't suited for each other, it got me to thinking of somebody who would be good for him – and vice versa. They've been dating for a few weeks now, and I have a good feeling about them," she finished with a satisfied smile.

"Who is she and how do you know her?" he inquired.

"Luciana Bosera, and she's a part-timer for the Council." She grabbed a dry rag and wiped the dust from the section she was working on and examined it. "If this works out between them, she can stay and help me set up the DC branch."

Gibbs stared at her, then tried to ask casually, but was unable to keep the hopeful tone out of his voice, "So you might be staying once you're done at NCIS?"

Buffy didn't want to get his hopes up too much. "If not me, then whoever else is stationed here." She saw the crestfallen expression on his face and bumped into him. "No reason to worry about that now; you're stuck with me for a bit longer, Gibbs," she playfully warned him.

"I just don't want to lose you again," he whispered softly. Then he turned away, upset that he showed that much emotion in front of her.

Sensing he didn't want another chick flick moment, she teasingly asked, "Does that mean you forgive me for breaking in?"

He appreciated what she was trying to do, but wanted to answer her seriously, "It's not breaking in if you use the key I gave you. And I'm happy that you feel comfortable enough to come here. You're _always_ welcome."

"As much as I dread asking, I wouldn't be interrupting any lady friends?" Buffy winced at the possible response.

"Not at the time being. I'll let you know if that changes though," Gibbs gave her a teasing nudge like she did earlier.

She beamed at him. "Good. I don't want to miss a chance to give them the shovel speech."

Unsure if he really wanted to know, Gibbs still asked, "Shovel speech?"

"Just something my friends and I did to prospective hunnies. _'A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend,'_" she quoted. Then her nose wrinkled as she thought about something. "Of course, we've never actually followed through on any of our threats yet. Hmm, surprised that hasn't ruined our credibility."

"Well, please don't make good on any of your threats on my account, okay?" he pleaded.

Buffy shrugged indifferently, "Like I told you before, depends on if she deserves it or not."

They continued to work on the boat until Buffy had finally worked out her aggression. Gibbs offered her a place to sleep for the night, which she gratefully accepted. She didn't have her 'students' coming over in the morning since it was the weekend. She called and left a message for Oz once he got out of his cage.

Then the two of them spent the following day together, just relaxing in each other's company and getting to know more about their lives. Something that made Gibbs very happy. What they didn't know was they had a witness to their time spent at his house. And that witness was _not_ very happy at what they saw.

-----------------------------

**NCIS**

**A few days later…**

"B!" a brunette woman called out as she entered the bullpen, seeing her friend about to enter an office upstairs.

Gibbs stood up and glared at her. "Excuse me, miss. This is a place of business, not a club. Who are you looking for?" he demanded.

He fought not to jump when he heard his daughter behind him. Damn, she was as good as he was at that! "Me, Gibbs. Really, Faith, you couldn't just ask for me?" Buffy scolded her sister-Slayer before pulling her into a hug.

"Not as much fun," Faith smirked.

Buffy rolled her eyes in mock dismay. "You _so_ need some time with Giles."

"And you still need to loosen up; pull that stick out of your--" Faith started to say.

But the blonde Slayer hastily cut her off, "Okay. We get the picture. Guess I better introduce you so we can go talk about your last assignment."

"Sounds 5 by 5 to me. Let's start with the hottie over there," Faith commented, winking at Tony. "Hey, boytoy…you doin' the nasty with B yet? If not, you want to try me on for size?" she managed to shock the flirtatious agent into silence.

Buffy pulled her away from his desk, trying like hell not to burst out laughing. Bet he would be careful about flirting with Faith. "Good. That's just great, Faith. Scar the poor agents, why don't you?"

Faith shrugged off the remark, "What? He looks like he enjoys the fun side of life."

"He's Xander, Faith," Buffy explained cryptically.

But apparently the younger woman understood the reference. "Got it, B. Sorry there," she said to Tony. "So who's who?" she asked, looking at everyone.

Buffy introduced the team to Faith, and smirked at the absolute glare Ziva shot her sister-Slayer. Tony still looked a bit shell-shocked by Faith's earlier comments. Tim just couldn't stop blushing at the outspoken brunette, which sparked the remark from her if he was an Andrew. Buffy replied that he was more like an early Willow.

It was Gibbs that really intrigued the Dark Slayer though. There was something familiar about him; she just couldn't put her finger on it right away. When he glared at her and smacked the hottie agent to snap him out of his stupor, her eyes widened in surprise. Buffy caught her eye and shook her head slightly. That was a topic for privacy.

-----------------------------

As soon as they got down to the morgue and cleared Ducky and Palmer out, Faith turned on Buffy. "Spill, B!"

Knowing what Faith was talking about, Buffy started out with a warning, "Alright, but only Giles and Oz from our side know. Ducky from here knows everything, too. Hank wasn't my real father, Gibbs is."

That surprised the younger Slayer. "Shit! How'd this come out? Is that why you came here?"

Buffy shook her head, "No. Gibbs has a friend who found out about my past – he's okay, so no killing him – and part of my past is that Mom and I were in the Witness Protection Program. She never said anything to me. I just can't believe she let him think we were dead."

"Harsh. Were they unhappy or something?" Faith couldn't stop herself from asking.

"Not that he knew, but you knew what she was like when it came to dangerous stuff." Faith nodded. "She made me choose between her and being the Slayer when she found out. Even after I came back, she kept trying to figure out how to get me out of it."

Faith hopped up on one of the autopsy tables. "Yeah. She was pretty stoked when I came around. Guess she saw me as your get out of slaying ticket."

"Sorry about that," Buffy said as she joined her on the table.

"Eh, back then I wanted it. To be the only one," Faith replied easily.

Not wanting to rehash that time in their history, Buffy moved on, "So how did the job go?"

"The usual. And some not-so-usual stuff. They were working on making vampires daylight-proof," Faith explained with a growl.

Pinching her nose in an eerily Giles-like way, Buffy asked quietly, "_Why_ exactly?"

Faith just shook her head in disbelief at the project heads' stupidity. "With their behavior chips, they thought they could have a daytime army of bloodsuckers who could only fight demons."

"And what went wrong?" the co-head of the Council inquired, knowing that it would be asked by the other heads.

"The chips blew out after a certain amount of time. Something about the added chemical stress of being in the sun?" Faith relayed, obviously not sure of the explanation given to her.

Buffy groaned, the offhandedly remarked, "You know, it's times like this that I can see Angel's point in locking up the idiots with a couple of vampires."

"What?!" Faith almost yelled.

Wincing at her slip, Buffy decided that Faith deserved the truth. "Yeah. He was going through a dark phase – not quite Angelus, but close – and locked Darla and Drusilla in a room with a bunch of the Wolfram & Hart people."

That just sounded like all kinds of wrong to the formerly dark Slayer. "And you're _sure_ he had his soul?" she pleaded, not wanting to accept that one of her heroes would fall like that.

And Buffy didn't want that for Faith either. But she had to know why they were handling Angel the way they were. That particular incident was part of their reasoning. "Sadly, yes. The evil law firm was fucking with his mind pretty big time, though. The fact they brought Darla back is evidence of that."

The law firm wasn't new to Faith. But she couldn't believe she had forgotten the name until now. Just went to show how messed up she was back then. "Wait! This is the same place that he's running now, right?"

"Uh-huh. So you can see why we're having trouble trusting them anymore," Buffy checked. She really wanted Faith to understand this.

"Fuck. But you don't have any plans on slaying him?" Faith asked, wanting to be sure how far they were apart now.

Buffy shook her head, "Not just yet. But we aren't about to share our resources either. Back to the job, though. Did you have any trouble with the Initiative people?" she questioned, needing to get away from the topic of that ex.

"Nope. They were gone by the time we showed up – except for one team that was trying to keep the kill count down. Led by somebody named Graham? Said he knew you," Faith said, smirking at her sister-Slayer.

But she ignored the smirk and just replied calmly, "He was one of the original guys from Sunnydale. I talked to him after chewing Riley out for messing with this stuff again. He just wanted to say that not everyone was happy about the decision to experiment on the demons."

"Sounds like you have a fan in him. Or maybe he's just panting after you in the carnal sense." Faith said with a waggle of her eyebrows.

Which did cause Buffy to burst out laughing that time, a big change from when they were younger. "God, Faith. I missed you. You crack me up."

Once they stopped chuckling, Faith turned to her other hero – not that she would ever admit it, "So, do you need help here?"

"Nah, things are actually pretty quiet…by Slayer standards. I was thinking you might want in on the hunt for Xander's kidnappers," Buffy remarked slyly.

Faith jumped up excitedly. "Fuck, yeah! They need to pay for hurting the boytoy."

Buffy stifled another laugh. "Just remember not to call him that in front of Anya. She's liable to think you're after him, and with her pregnancy hormones as crazy as they are right now…it could get really ugly," she warned.

"I still can't believe he married a demon!" Faith shook her head.

"_Ex_-demon," Buffy clarified. "And she's not too bad…if you can deal with her bluntness about sex – which obviously _you_ can. I'm just happy that it worked out for them. And our little Scrappy Doo gave us all something to fight for back in Sunnydale. Knowing that Anya was waiting for us with baby J.R. in Carmel really gave us focus in the last battle."

Snickering at the name, Faith said, "That's another thing that floors me. They stuck the kid with the name Rupert!"

"It's only a middle name, and Xander wanted to honor the two men in his life he cared about most: Jesse and Giles," Buffy replied wistfully. She barely knew Jesse, but she knew how important he was to Xander and Willow. And Giles was important to all of them.

"So how come you're not tearing apart Europe right now?" Faith demanded, having wondered about that since she heard about Xander's kidnapping and torture.

"The Council needed me here." Then Buffy had another thought. "Who knows, maybe the Powers helped out to get me here. After all, it's awfully strange that my real father just _happened_ to be somebody I worked with. But if they had anything to do with Xander getting hurt, I'm going to tear them apart – higher beings or not."

"How's that going with your dad?" Faith asked, sincerely worried for her friend. And they were friends now, having set aside their differences after Buffy was resurrected.

Buffy sighed, "We're getting to know each other. I haven't told him about the Slayer stuff, though. Want him to get used to having a daughter again before telling him she's a freak."

"It might be better to tell him sooner rather than later, B," Faith warned.

"I know. Especially if he finds out two of his co-workers knew the truth and he didn't." Buffy cringed when she imagined that scene.

That surprised the brunette Slayer. "Who else?"

"The lab tech. I saved this Goth chick one of my first nights here, only to find out she works at NCIS. She wanted to know about vamps so I gave her the lowdown." Buffy bit her lip before confiding, "I was thinking of asking Giles if I could train her and Ducky to be Watchers. I know he's too old to be a field guy, but I've been working with Abby on self defense and she's pretty good."

Faith decided to tease the blonde, "So you're setting up your own mini Council here?"

Not having thought of that in those terms before, Buffy nodded slowly, "I guess so. Lucy from Italy just came over and I think she's gonna settle down with Ducky, so she'd help out. Oz is here and happy to help."

"Well, I hate to cut our little reunion short here, but I really want to get over there and bust some heads," Faith started her antsy dance – which meant she was getting close to smashing something or somebody.

Buffy nodded, "Understand. Bust a few for me. Tell everyone I said hi and that I love them."

Faith smirked with a roll of her eyes, "Sure. Then we'll all join hands and sing _'Kumbaya'_."

The elder Slayer punched her in the arm at full strength. "Beat it, you brat!"

"You got it, bitch!" Faith teased back.

-----------------------------

A/N: Next…Part 2 of the Rival saga. This chapter just got to be too long to continue.


	23. Chapter 22: A New Rival, Part 2

**Chapter 22: A New Rival, Part 2**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: Bunny is my what? by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal, Hawkehunt and CindyB. Thanks to MistressAshley for the fanart; it's wonderful!

**Posted In Honor of the 100****th**** review and 9 C2s on !**

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**Buffy and Oz's place**

**Two weeks after Faith's visit…**

When she opened the front door, Buffy was pleasantly surprised by the familiar face she saw. "Graham! It's great to see you. And in one piece, too!"

Graham smiled back. "Thanks to Faith and her team. Can you pass our gratitude along to them?" he requested.

"Sure. She actually was wondering if you wanted me to give you her number," Buffy lied, biting the inside of her cheek at his 'deer in the headlights' look.

He clear his throat awkwardly, "Uhhh…well, she's attractive, but--" It was just his luck that the brunette Slayer expressed interest in him. Why couldn't it have been somebody else?

Buffy couldn't hold in her laughter anymore. When she calmed down, she apologized, "I'm sorry. I just had to tease you. Faith should never be inflicted on anyone who doesn't ask for it."

"Whew. She's just a little…" Graham hesitated, searching for a non-offensive term.

"Enthusiastic?" the blonde Slayer offered with a teasing smirk.

He chuckled, "That's one way of putting it."

"And probably one of the nicer ways. So how did the …debriefing go?" she asked, leading him to the living room couch.

Graham sighed, relieved it was over. "I guess it went as well as could be expected. Fortunately, the morons responsible for the experiments were thorough in their notes, and that made it easy for the Oversight Committee to weed out the bad eggs from those of us just doing what we _thought_ was our mandate," he finished, somewhat bitterly from having been betrayed by his leaders again – and especially by Riley, who should have known better.

Buffy considered what she was about to tell him. The battle with the First changed a lot of things; one of those things being the Council's recruiting methods. "Well, I talked to Giles, and we're prepared to offer anyone willing to submit to our version of a lie detector an opportunity to join the Council. Whether it's as field back-up for a Slayer team, or research, or whatever," she explained, carefully watching his reaction.

Which was one of extreme shock. "Seriously? After being burned _twice_ by the Initiative?" he asked. What kind of dream was he having now? Any minute now she would yell, _'Psych!'_ and kick him out.

But she didn't take it back. "Like I said, they would have to be interviewed. Part of that process is lie detection. As for military personnel, I've cleared it with the President already. They can either be released from service or just be attached to a special unit tied to us," she clarified. She and the President had gone over the best way to handle the servicemembers. After all, some took great pride in wearing their country's uniform.

Graham let out a figurative breath he had been holding since finding out about the experiments. He knew that he wanted to help, but he didn't think he could trust his leaders anymore. But if his leaders were Buffy and _her_ people… well, that was an entirely different situation. "I'll let the others know, but I'll sign up!"

He was stunned when Buffy flashed one of her brilliant smiles at him. Riley was an idiot for leaving and hurting her.

"Great! In fact, I think I might have an assignment for you. Assuming you pass the interview process," she qualified her statement. Then she looked a little nervous when she asked, "Would you mind giving up active hunting?"

Curious what was going on the that brain of hers, Graham answered honestly, "Not really. I was kind of getting tired of it anyway – at least how the Initiative was handling it. What's the assignment?"

Buffy dodged the question, "I'll tell you after you're cleared."

-----------------------------

**One week later…**

After a quick hop across the pond and back, Graham was again at the unofficial headquarters of the DC branch of the Council. "Well, Giles and the coven have cleared me for duty. _Now_ can you tell me?" he pleaded.

Buffy smiled when she thought of what his reaction would be. "We need somebody on the Secret Service detail," she replied in an overly casual manner.

Graham's brain shut down – _almost_ as surely if she were standing in front of him naked. He managed to stammer out, "I'm sorry, I think I misheard you. Did you say Secret Service? As in the _President's_ bodyguards?"

"Yep. President Ryan was hoping for a Slayer on the detail, but since only Faith and I are over the age of 18…" she trailed off. Then she shrugged, "Anyway, we figured a demon hunter was the next best thing – at least until we could get a Slayer there. The great thing is you already have some of the necessary clearance. Andrea likes your background check. In fact, she was one of the people at your debriefing."

"Andrea?" he asked confusedly.

Remembering that the agents weren't really known to the public for obvious reasons, Buffy clarified, "The lead agent on the President's detail. Now, you wouldn't be part of any set detail, 'cause they'd need you to go around to check for demonic problems. And obviously, you'd have us to be back-up in case you had questions. Me and Oz would work with you – unofficially of course."

"Wow. This is-- wow," he answered, still trying to wrap his mind around the idea.

His reaction was starting to make her nervous and she started to babble, "Will you do it? I'm sure it's not what you were expecting when you joined the Council, but I wasn't really expecting to work with NCIS either."

Graham quickly cut her off before she strained something, "Are you kidding? This is like one of the greatest honors I could have ever hoped for."

Buffy raised an bemused eyebrow at the statement, "Being asked to take a bullet for somebody is your greatest honor? You have strange goals, Graham."

-----------------------------

**Gibbs' basement**

**Six weeks after Faith's visit…**

Gibbs and Buffy had just gotten back from one of the more pleasant events they had gone to together since he started escorting her around the Beltway. They changed and made their way down to the boat.

"You know, Papa Bear, if you don't watch out, you're going to ruin your reputation as a hard-ass," she teased her dad, using the pet name from when she was little after he told her about it in one of their gab sessions.

He smiled whenever she called him that. It gave him hope that she was getting to trust him more – at least as a father. He knew she still kept professional secrets, but was willing to let her find her own time to share those. His laidback approach had served him well so far with her. Why mess with success? "What are you talking about, sweetie?" he inquired.

She rolled her eyes at his obvious confusion. For such a brilliant investigator, he could be so clueless sometimes. "Tonight, at the party…you know, with the growling at anyone who asked me to dance," she pointed out with a mild glare.

Gibbs frowned at the apparent complaint. "I thought that's what I was there for – to keep the predators away." If she didn't know him better, she would have sworn he was about to pout.

The mental image made her giggle. To cover it, Buffy shot back, "The President's Chief of Staff is a predator? Arnie? Or Fornell when _he_ asked? Good thing you went to the bathroom or he never would have gotten me to dance. And if he didn't, I wouldn't know the rumors going around about us," she sing-songed, pouring their drinks while he got out the tools.

"Dare I ask?" he inquired, almost reluctantly.

Buffy tried not to laugh as she relayed the message, "Just that apparently I'm the lucky girl who has finally won the heart of the uncatchable Gibbs – even if I'm _not_ a redhead."

That surprised him, even though it shouldn't have. "They really think we're a couple?"

She shrugged, "Well, obviously not Fornell. And the President knows the truth. I had to tell him when I found out. It's not good for Council relations with the US if I tried to keep that kind of information from him – especially when his people could find out as easily as Fornell did," she explained before he could get upset that she had revealed their secret.

In all honesty, he was pleased she wasn't trying to keep it hidden from everyone. It meant she wasn't ashamed of having him as a father.

Her next words snapped him out of his thoughts, "But this would explain something I've noticed around the office."

"What?" he demanded. What had he missed?

"Somebody's been shooting daggers at me," Buffy remarked, like it was the most normal thing in the world, now that she knew the whole story.

Maybe he had too much to drink – or not enough – because Gibbs just stood there, confused. "Obviously I'm not getting it. What are you saying?"

Deciding not to beat around the bush about it, Buffy bluntly replied, "Somebody's jealous that _I'm_ your arm candy. A certain Director lady. What's the deal there?" she asked.

Gibbs froze momentarily in mid-stroke of his planing. "Several years ago, we were involved," he admitted. If he wanted her to open up, he had to return the favor, painful as that might be.

Buffy sat down next to where he was working, inquiring softly because she heard the ache in his voice, "What happened to rule 12?"

"I didn't have it until Jenny. She's _why_ I created the rule. But that's in the past now," he said, hoping this was done with.

"Not for her, it isn't," Buffy disagreed vehemently.

Gibbs attacked the boat again with the plane. "Sure it is. She has the social calendar to prove it."

She shook her head, "I don't think so, Papa Bear. Just be careful, okay? Jealous exes are never of the good," she whispered, remembering her own love life problems.

"There's nothing to worry about, but I'll keep my eyes open," he promised.

Buffy smiled up at him. "Good. So, are we anywhere near ready to paint yet?" she pleaded, changing the subject to a less emotion-riddled topic.

-----------------------------

**The next morning…**

Buffy had stayed over, as was getting to be their custom on the weekends when she didn't have other plans or he had a case to work on. Deciding to take a chance, she was wanted to tell her dad the truth about Sunnydale – or at least the non-supernatural, edited version of it for now. If he seemed to be able to handle that, she would tell him everything.

When she got to the part about being able to handle weapons almost naturally, he asked, "Then why didn't you do well at the range?"

"Ziva was already feeling threatened by me. Why make it worse? I figured I would need to take a dive either there or when we fought, and thought my ego could take it better at the range," Buffy remarked.

Gibbs ran his hand over his salt and pepper hair, somewhat frustrated. But he wasn't sure if that was because of what she just told him about Sunnydale or her shooting. "That's nice of you, but I need to know how good you really are. You need to re-qualify," he commanded.

Instead of bristling at the order, Buffy chose to understand his position. "Okay. It's been long enough that I could just claim I improved," she strategized.

He couldn't think of the Shannon he knew as this warrior-like woman's mother, so Gibbs didn't use her name when he asked, "So, what did your mother think of you being the head of this neighborhood watch group?"

"She hated it. In fact, when she found out, she told me not to come home if I went out that night. But one of the worst gang members had Giles and I had to try to get him back. I knew the police wouldn't do anything, so I left." Buffy fought the tears as she recalled that awful night. Maybe it was better that she let Gibbs think they were dead; Buffy wasn't sure he could have taken the harshness of her words; she almost couldn't. "So, you know…I don't think it was you _personally_ that drove her away; she just couldn't take the stress of worrying."

"But you made up, right?" he asked, thinking that Ducky had said something about them being close when she died.

Buffy hesitated; she knew he wasn't going to be happy to hear this part, but she had to know if he could handle it. "Sure…after I spent about three months on my own in LA. When I went back, she still wasn't happy about it, but she knew that I wouldn't walk away. I couldn't even when I was in LA. I just didn't have my friends backing me up there."

To her surprise, Gibbs just grabbed her to give her a comforting embrace. He wasn't real excited about her news, but it was in the past. All he could do was be there for her now. But it didn't stop him from whispering in her hair, "I'm sorry you didn't get to have a childhood."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Buffy replied just as softly, "I got one. It just didn't last as long as other kids'."

"Is that why you're with this Council now?" he asked, rapidly putting two and two together.

"Yep. We help out where the locals can't or won't. We just have special permission from the governments to step in," she explained.

Gibbs snorted, "I just can't believe it. But I'm very proud of you, sweetie," he squeezed her again, kissing her forehead.

Once again, they missed the redhead that watched from the window before turning and storming away. He had moved on…and with someone young enough to be his daughter!

-----------------------------

A/N: Next…The _whole_ truth.


	24. Chapter 23: A New Heartbreak

**Chapter 23: A New Heartbreak**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: Bunny is my what? by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal, Hawkehunt, Chrislover, AshDawnSoulmates and CindyB.

**Posted In Honor of the 72 story favs and over 28,600 hits on !**

**Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!!**

* * *

**Buffy & Oz's place**

**A couple days later…**

When her dad arrived after receiving her urgent phone call, Buffy suddenly wasn't sure how to broach the subject of her summons. As a result, she stumbled over what to call him, "Papa Bear? Gibbs? I have something to tell you."

Worried by the call and by the fact she didn't stick to her pet name for him, Gibbs shifted into protective mode instantly. "What's the matter, sweetheart? Did somebody hurt you?" he demanded with a growl.

Buffy hurried to assure him, "Not like that. Something has happened, and I need to tell you everything. Well, not _everything_ because that would take way too long--"

"What happened?" Gibbs asked, cutting off her babble.

Sitting down, Buffy asked an apparently bizarre question, "Have you ever heard of a 'deadman's switch'?"

Gibbs was startled by the change in subject, but drawled his answer anyway, "Yes."

"Here's the thing…the leader of the group that took Xander a couple months ago? Well, the others finally got him." Buffy paused to get past the lump in her throat as she continued, "But we didn't find out until after he died that he had one of those switches in Xander."

"I don't understand," Gibbs replied, feeling like he had missed something here.

She went on to tell him about vampires and magick, and that her neighborhood watch group was really the front-line defenders of the Hellmouth. He seemed to be taking her revelations far too well. So Buffy inquired, "Why aren't you freaked? Or denying any of this?"

"I ran into a couple vampires when I was young," he explained. Then his eyes grew wide as he made a certain realization. "So wait, are you telling me that _you_ are the Slayer?"

Now it was Buffy's turn to be startled. "Huh? How do you know about Slayers?" She hadn't gotten to that part of the story yet.

Gibbs smirked. "You didn't think_ I_ could take out a couple of vampires by myself, did you? I appreciate the vote of confidence, but no, a Slayer saved me."

Buffy let out the breath she'd been holding. "Wow. Alright, I wasn't expecting this to go so smoothly. Then are you going to be cool with the fact Ducky and Abby know, too?" she asked, deciding to go for broke.

"That depends; why do they know _before_ me?" Gibbs hedged. It hurt that his daughter trusted them more than she did him.

Guessing that his ego was a bit wounded, Buffy tried to reassure him by saying, "Well, Ducky knew from a long time ago, and Abby found out because I saved her when I first got here."

Gibbs growled again, this time in anger that somebody tried to hurt the lab tech he cared for as one of his own. "She was attacked?"

"Yep." Buffy smiled at the memory of what came after. "Then she asked about a thousand questions – which I only answered because she seemed truly interested in avoiding it happening again. She even took some dust to analyze."

Coming to the conclusion this had something to do with the strange behavior of the two girls and Ducky that day after Buffy fought DiNozzo, Gibbs ventured, "So that's why she was so hyper that morning she 'met' you. Why did it take you so long to tell me?" he asked, still hurt.

Buffy took one of his hands so that he would focus on her and see she was being sincere. "I haven't had the best luck telling my parental figures. You know about the time Mom told me not to come home if I left to take care of a baddie. What I didn't tell you about was the _first_ time I tried to tell her and Hank."

Gibbs could tell he didn't want to know, but he knew he _needed_ to. "What happened?"

"They had me committed. I had to lie so I could get out," Buffy explained, fighting back the tears from her memories of that time.

That confused Gibbs. "If your mom already knew, why did she blow up the next time?"

The gang had talked about it extensively when she told them – _finally_ – about her time at the institution. Buffy shared their best guess with her dad, "She had forgotten the reason I was locked up. See, when it comes to the supernatural, there's this strong mental block people have. Basically, until they are ready to face the ugly truth, they rationalize away the weird things they've seen. It's either that or they snap and go crazy. So, it was actually lucky she forgot. And if I hadn't left town for so long the second time, she might have forgotten again."

Her explanation made sense to him. He sort of wondered why he was one of those that accepted the truth. Then he realized it was a good thing it happened when it did – regardless of why – otherwise he would probably have reacted the same way. And Gibbs had the strong feeling he would have lost any chance with his daughter if he couldn't accept this part of her life. "Okay… not that I don't appreciate the history lesson, but I doubt that this would explain the sudden urgency to tell me now," he said to get them back to the point of this talk.

When Buffy's face crumbled, he wished he hadn't, though. "You're right," she confirmed. "The switch in Xander is slowly eating him away from the inside out. I need to leave so I can be with him when he dies." Then she got to the part about why she told him now. "When I told him about you, he wanted to know that I had told you the truth, and I couldn't lie – not about this. I don't know how long he'll last, so I could be gone a while."

Gathering her in his arms to lend her his strength, Gibbs murmured into her hair, "Is there anything I can do for you, sweetie?"

Buffy gave into the sense of comfort he was creating. "You've already done it, Papa Bear. Just believing me and not hating me is more than I could have hoped for," she replied with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Gibbs gently wiped the tears away with a tissue from the end table next to him. "Not that you need to do it anytime soon, but will you tell me your stories again – this time with the stuff you left out before? I'm guessing there's some parts that need expanding," he prompted hopefully. He guessed that knowing everything would give him even better insight how to deal with his very unusual daughter.

She stiffened slightly in his arms. "You've got it. But you better brace yourself, some of it is pretty bad. I hope you won't be too disappointed in me when you find out," Buffy remarked, looking away from him.

He cupped her chin and turned her face to force her to meet his eyes. "I think all kids disappoint their parents at one point or another. But that doesn't mean that I'll ever stop loving you, though," he comforted her, making his point with a soft kiss to her forehead and another embrace.

Overwhelmed by her emotions, Buffy couldn't stop herself from responding in a small voice, "Thanks, Daddy."

Gibbs blinked fiercely to stop his own tears from falling. "Always, baby girl," he vowed after he got past the lump in his throat.

* * *

**NCIS**

**Later that day…**

Buffy's departure was quite the ceremony. Even if Shepard had wanted to protest her taking an indefinite leave to sit at the bedside of a dying team member – which she didn't; she was quite happy Buffy was going – the fact that a pair of Secret Service agents came to escort her to Air Force Two would have curbed those thoughts. They declared to anyone within earshot that the person she was going to be with was a hero to the nation and the world. That made the rumor mill flare with questions of what this Council really did.

As she left with her escorts, Buffy grumbled about Presidents who needed to keep their mouths shut. But her anger was only half-hearted; Xander deserved the recognition. Her problem was that _she_ was getting the attention, not him. Graham leaned to whisper in her ear, and her mood changed dramatically. Her smile lit up the room just as the elevator doors closed, leaving everyone to wonder what the agent had told her.

* * *

**Gibbs' basement**

**That night…**

Once they were settled with their drinks, Gibbs pounced on his friend, "Why didn't you tell me about my daughter being the Slayer?"

Having been warned by Buffy that her dad knew the basic truth _and_ that the ME knew already, Ducky was prepared for the attack. "It was her secret to share, Jethro. I told you she was a very special girl," he reminded the younger man.

Remembering his friend holding a scalpel on him, Gibbs grimaced. "Yeah, I remember. But once we knew for sure, didn't you think I deserved to know?" he persisted.

"Course I did," Ducky agreed. "But like I said, it was _her_ decision. She needed to know she could trust you before she revealed that big of a secret. Speaking of which, how do you know about Slayers?" Buffy hadn't had time to go into all of the details of her discussion with Gibbs.

Gibbs relayed his experience with the vampires and the girl who saved him when he was younger.

Ducky smiled warmly. "So, we both owe our lives to the Council. Or, at least two of the people running it."

Seeing that his friend was a bit nostalgic, Gibbs tried again, "What can you tell me about her now?"

But Ducky deflected it by asking, "What did she tell you?"

They spoke for a few hours about Buffy's life and what the Council really did. Gibbs was understandably unhappy when he learned the ages of the girls who became Slayers, and Ducky did his best to reassure the man that things were better for them since Giles and Buffy assumed control of the Council with their friends.

Not only did the girls not have to fight alone anymore, they had a choice whether to fight at all. The Council and the coven that worked with them found a way to reverse the activation for those that couldn't handle the pressure. Those girls went back to being Potentials. However, if the Powers chose them, it would be a different story. Even with this development, the Council still had plenty of girls willing to fight.

Plus, the girls didn't have to give up their personal lives. Once they completed their initial training, they were allowed to go back to their families and homes. They just had to come in for the occasional training seminars. The Council called it their 'Weekend Warrior' program – modeled after the National Guard/Reserves of the US.

Gibbs was disappointed that Ducky would only talk about the Council, but the older man insisted that any personal information about Buffy would have to come from her. All Ducky would say was how important she was and that as much as Xander was loved by his colleagues, it was nothing compared to how they felt for her. She was their Queen and General all rolled into one petite package. In return, she loved them as if they were her own – which, in some ways, they were.

Taking the last sip of his drink, Ducky remarked, "I hope you understand my feelings of protectiveness for her now, Jethro."

"Of course. I'm just a little stunned at how important she sounds. Why would she need me for anything?" Gibbs wondered aloud, more to himself than anything.

Ducky answered him anyway, "Because all children need their parents. Maybe even more so in her case. You can help shoulder her burdens when they overwhelm her. And they _will_ overwhelm her at times. She mourns for every girl that dies – whether she shows it or not. Knowing that she can depend on you to love her no matter what means more than she can tell you." He felt compelled to warn the other man, "Just know that if you ever fail her seriously, there are several people that will come after you, including me."

Gibbs took the warning seriously. "I hope you'll help me avoid that then."

"Of course, dear boy," Ducky promised, pleased at how well Gibbs had done with his daughter so far.

Gibbs' expression turned worried. "Should I have gone with her?"

Shaking his head, Ducky replied, "No. She needs this time alone with her people. Just be ready to be there for her when she gets back. This death will be especially hard on her."

"Why? If you can tell me," Gibbs tacked on as an afterthought, proving he was learning to be patient.

Ducky sighed sadly. "The most simple way to describe their relationship is that he's her brother, friend, and comrade-in-arms."

* * *

A/N: Next…Saying goodbye to Xander.


	25. Chapter 24: A New Hero

**Chapter 24: A New Hero**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: Bunny is my what? by CindyB.

A/N2: Thanks to my betas for their help... zigpal, Hawkehunt, Chrislover and CindyB.

A/N3: I need to remind everyone that Seasons 6 & 7 didn't happen like they did in canon. There was **no** Spuffy sex happening, 'k?

**Posted In Honor of the 130th review and over 32,500 hits on !**

* * *

**Air Force Two**

Once they got settled on the plane, Graham introduced Buffy to their escorts. "So, you two are the guys Graham told me about?" Buffy inquired, remembering her friend's comment at NCIS.

"Yes. Jack said he mentioned me to you. Something about glaring?" Clark answered with a bit of a question at the end. He read the file on Buffy Summers and was impressed at how much this young lady had done for the world in the past decade. A large part of him cringed at how young she was for most of that time. But he, more than anyone, knew how fast people sometimes had to grow up – even without the supernatural world to deal with.

Setting aside her pain over Xander for the moment, Buffy giggled at the older man's expression. "He said that you have one of the scariest glares out there. I wanted to see how it measured against the ones I've seen."

Chavez cut in, "Speaking on behalf of those that have seen it, let me tell you, it is fearsome." He ignored the grunt from his partner and just smiled charmingly at the small blonde sitting across from them. The younger CIA agent had to admit, if he weren't so completely in love with Mr. C's daughter, Patti, he could easy see himself falling for the hazel-eyed beauty.

"Can't wait. But first there's the matter of Xander. How do you plan to do this?" she asked, referring to Graham's announcement. She was so grateful to Jack for understanding. She chalked it up to his own experiences of helping the country and the world.

Instead of answering her, Graham turned the question back to the blonde Slayer. "What do you think is the best way? How would Xander want this done?"

Once they finished discussing the ceremony, Clark and Chavez seemed to understand that Buffy needed to keep her mind off Xander for the next few hours, so they regaled the blonde Slayer with tales of their exploits as CIA agents. She was duly impressed with the human disasters they had averted in their years together and would even argue that they had at least one world save to their credit when they got the info which stopped that nuclear attack a number of years ago.

* * *

**London**

"Hey there, my Xander-shaped friend!" Buffy tried for levity when she greeted her dying comrade, but it was useless as she broke down in tears at the sight of him lying there. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. You were supposed to be safe," she blubbered.

Realizing that he needed to get her away from her current line of thinking before she started to blame herself, Xander opted for his usual humorous response, dark as it was in this case. "At least I get to have the satisfaction of knowing they're all dead – not to mention anyone else stupid enough to get in the girls' way. I heard they wiped out a small army of Fyarl demons somebody was gathering for a completely unrelated thing – just because they were _that_ pissed."

Buffy brushed away her tears and Xander saw the glint of The Slayer peeking out through her hazel eyes. "Yeah. Well, those idiot evil guys didn't realize we aren't like the old Council; they go after one of us, they will pay…especially if it's one of the Council heads. Or one of the Scoobies," she pointed out, reaffirming his importance to them – even if he'd left the front-lines of the fighting.

Xander really didn't feel like spending his last days discussing the bad guys that killed him. "Enough of that talk. Tell me about your dad. Is he okay with your Slayer-ness? I mean, he already sounds better than my folks or Hank, but I'm hoping he'll be cool like your mom. Faith and Giles seemed to be impressed."

"You're kinda forgetting my mom wasn't so cool at first," Buffy reminded him. "Anyway, he doesn't know all the _details_ of everything, but he actually already knew about vamps and Slayers. He was rescued by one before he met Mom. And so far in normal father/daughter stuff he's pretty cool. He's really overprotective – especially about guys."

"Sure he doesn't know about your past love life?" Xander teased. He saw the happiness in Buffy's eyes, despite the current situation. "But you love it, don't you? I would have thought it would bother you."

Buffy shrugged, not really understanding it completely herself. "Not the way he does it. He knows I can kick anybody's ass – and that was _before_ he knew I was a Slayer – but he still runs interference so I don't have to. And his glare is right up there with Giles' when they're truly pissed off."

Impressed with anyone who could match Giles' Ripper glare, Xander still had to wonder, "What about guys you like? I don't like the idea of you being alone. You aren't still hung up on Spike or Angel, are you? I get that they would kill or die for you, but you deserve so much better."

"Well, for one thing, I was never romantically interested in Spike. That was all him. The most I ever saw him as was a friend-slash-brother," Buffy reminded Xander.

"Know that feeling," Xander interjected, but without any bitterness.

Buffy smiled at him. "And that worked out best for us. You have a loving wife and darling boy. Not to mention baby number two coming soon." She sighed. "It hurt that Spike didn't tell me he was back, but only because he thought I was shallow enough to care that his sacrifice wasn't permanent. Hello! Mine wasn't either!"

She took a deep breath, then went on, "As for Angel…he was my Romeo. It's a nice, tragic romance, except I stopped being Juliet a long time ago. Probably before I even realized it. When he came back from hell, I tried to re-create the feelings. The only time it wasn't a struggle was the day he was human. And the fact that he asked the Powers to change it back made me realize he wanted to be Romeo. That was when I _knew_ I wasn't Juliet anymore."

Xander wasn't about to let go of his hope to see her happy with a guy before he died. "So there isn't anyone who strikes your fancy?"

"'Strikes your fancy'? You have been spending way too much time with Giles," she teased. "Seriously though, I've just been more interested in getting to know my dad right now. Well, that and learning about the NCIS. You would love it there. They're like gun-toting Scoobies."

Just then Anya joined them. Xander scooted over so she could sit next to him on the bed. "We have a favor to ask you, Buffy. You know that Anya feels more comfortable with you than the other Slayers--"

With her usual bluntness, Anya blurted out, "Can JR and I live with you in DC?"

"Okay. Remember we were going to ease into it, Ahn?" Xander lightly chastised his wife.

Shaking her head at the pair, Buffy assured them, "That's alright, Xan. I understand. Of course you can. Do you want to go right away? That way you can meet the team too, Xander," she invited, hoping he would take her up on the offer.

"As much as I would love to, I need to stay close to the coven. They're keeping the pain manageable for me. But thank you for agreeing to Anya and JR. I know the other girls would protect them like any innocent, but you'd protect them like family," Xander explained, knowing she would understand the difference.

Which of course she did. "That's 'cause we _are_ family. We all are. I'm just sorry I couldn't protect you," Buffy muttered softly, refusing to meet his eyes.

Xander looked at Anya, who grabbed Buffy's hand so she'd look up. "You know that's not your fault, Buffy. There's one other thing we wanted to talk to you about."

After he and Anya explained their request, Anya perked up a tiny bit. "Now that that's settled, tell me all about what's happening with you. Have you found a good orgasm friend yet? If so, I hope your bedroom is sound-proofed. Xander says that JR is getting to the age now where he can--"

Buffy cut her off quickly. "No orgasm friend, but we'll make sure the sound-proofing is adequate if I ever do get one. Alright?"

* * *

**A few minutes later…**

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation and Graham stuck his head in. Getting the nonverbal okay from Buffy, he ushered in the small group.

Seeing the questions in everyone's eyes, Buffy gave a minor explanation, "Hey, these guys are here on behalf of the President, guys. They have something to give you, and I thought you'd prefer it to be done privately…just us Scoobies."

"Okay," Xander drawled, looking at the assembled group crowded in his room. There were some government guys, then the Watcher, the Chosen Two, the Witch, the Seer, his wife and his son. Aside from the strangers, this was his family – one that he was proud to be a part of.

Clark spoke in his most official voice, ignoring the glare on the young man's face at the use of his full given name, "On behalf of John Patrick Ryan, President of the United States of America, I hereby award Alexander Lavelle Harris the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his aid in keeping the country and the world safe from untold threats. The official wording of this award is: _'An especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.'_ This is presented on the 4th day of February, 2004. Thank you for all your hard work, Xander," he finished on a more personal note.

Taking the award from the older man, Xander found himself speechless. He couldn't even think of a snarky joke to make. "Wow. Umm, I don't know what to say."

"You deserve it," Buffy assured him before looking at the others in the room. "Jack told me that when or if we wanted, he'd give the rest of the Sunnydale fighters their own medals – even those who died before the final battle. It'll be done quietly for obvious reasons, but at least we'll know that somebody in a position of power cares about us."

"Tell him thanks for me, will ya, Buff?" Xander managed to choke out. He grabbed Anya's hand and pulled her and their son in closer to him, the memories of friends and loved ones lost over the years threatening to overwhelm him.

Buffy nodded in understanding, "Of course. Now I think we should get out of your hair so you can rest. You look pretty wiped. Love you, Xander." She leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Right back at you, Buffy," he replied quietly.

* * *

As it turned out, that was the last time Buffy spoke to Xander. That night, Xander died quietly in his sleep with his wife and child at his side.

The funeral was a somber affair – in direct contrast with the young man they were saying goodbye to. It was mostly just the Council people, but there were a couple exceptions; one being the British Prime Minister and the other a small band of village elders from a North African desert tribe.

Xander had gone there on his one and only recruiting mission to talk to the Chief about his daughter becoming a Slayer. When he returned home a couple months later, they found out Anya was four months pregnant with their second child, and soon after he accepted the offer of the NCIS job so they could settle down. That was when everything had fallen apart.

Although Buffy would have liked to stay and mourn with the remaining members of their core group, Anya broke down shortly after they scattered Xander's ashes. It was decided that the best thing to do was to get her and JR away from the place their husband and father died.

So a mere 48 hours after arriving in England, Buffy was already heading back home to DC with two new family members. She looked after JR while Anya cried herself to sleep. Staring at the young boy in her arms, Buffy couldn't help but wonder how her dad and new friends would react. She gave a small smile at the image in her mind of Mama Mallard's expression when she found out she had a 'great-grandchild' to spoil.

* * *

A/N: Next…Getting Anya'd.


	26. Chapter 25: A New Pup

**Chapter 25: A New Pup**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

A/N1: This is mostly in response to Challenge #4472: Bunny is my what? by CindyB.

A/N2: Sorry to everyone that was looking forward to more Anya. Musie (and AshDawnSoulmates) struck and gave me this plot twist to explore. To speed the posting, this was unbeta'd. Sorry for any mistakes I missed.

**Posted In Honor of the 1151****st**** tracker, 55****th**** recommendation and 657****th**** review on TtH! Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it!!!**

* * *

**Half Moon, North Carolina **

As the EMTs loaded her into the ambulance for the trip to the hospital in Jacksonville, Maureen Gesshel pleaded for them to call her nephew. He was number four on her speed dial. Earlier, she had watched her husband die upon impact and feared she would soon follow. Her nephew was the only one who could care properly for their child.

The EMT assured her, "Don't worry, ma'am; the police have your phone and are contacting him now." He took another look at her vitals and hoped her nephew didn't live too far away. There probably wasn't much time left before she died – despite their best efforts. There simply was too much damage.

Maureen gave a weary nod before giving into the blackness.

* * *

**North Mount Vernon, VA**

**A few days later…**

Buffy was sitting in one of the window seats, staring at the Fort Hunt Park that was practically in their back yard. That was one of the selling points for this home. When Oz felt like letting his wolfy side out, the park was a good place to go for a run. He had enough control of himself now that he could do so safely. As long as he wasn't real emotional before the change, that is.

As her thoughts turned to her friend, a small blur streaked across the room and dove at her. She instinctively caught it since her senses told her this wasn't a threat. It curled up into a ball and tried to bury itself into her embrace before it started weeping.

A few seconds later, Oz rushed into the room, and his eyebrows raised in surprise at the scene he found. He slowed down and walked over to Buffy.

"Hey Oz? Can you explain my watery lap ornament here?" she inquired with her own arched eyebrow.

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Oz replied overly casually, "I can tell you who he is, but I don't know why he's attached himself to you. That's my cousin, Jordy."

Recognition at the name flared in her eyes. "Ahhh. The one that bit you. What's with the waterfall?" She took a closer look at her friend and saw the grief there. She shifted on the seat so he could join her. "Oz? What's the matter?"

Oz fought for control of his emotions. They weren't to the level of forcing a change, but he didn't feel like breaking down in front of Buffy. "That thing I had to take care of in North Carolina? My aunt and uncle were in a car accident. I know I didn't talk to you about this first, but she asked me to take Jordy. I'm the only family member who can handle his condition. In fact, I'm the only family that even knows about it."

"'Take care of' as in until they get better? Or as in adopt?" Buffy tried to clarify, not caring either way.

"The second one. Uncle Robert died at the scene, and Aunt Maureen barely held on until I could get down there. I couldn't say no, Buffy," he answered, silently pleading with her to understand. If he had to, they'd move out, but he really hoped it wouldn't be necessary.

Buffy glared at him, guessing what was going through his mind. "Of course not! I'd wonder who you were if you didn't take him. I'm just sorry you went through this alone. Why didn't you say anything?"

He shrugged. "It's not like you could be in two places at once, and it was more important for you to be with Xander."

"Speaking of which, you weren't the only one to bring home new family members. I brought two and a half or two-thirds – not sure how to count that. Anya just feels safer with me than the other Slayers," she added as an explanation. Buffy didn't have the same concern he did; she knew Oz would accept the change in their situation with no trouble.

"I'd count it as three. One is just being a recluse right now." Oz got a bit of a smirk on his face. "So, Anya and JR. Should we warn DC?"

Buffy chuckled softly so she wouldn't rattle the small child in her lap. "Nah. Let everyone find out the hard way; we had to."

Oz sniffed the air for evidence of the newcomers and only got a light scent from them. "Where are they?"

She nodded towards the hallway leading back to the bedrooms. "Resting. Between jetlag and grief, they crashed almost immediately. JR doesn't really understand and keeps asking for 'Daddy'. It breaks my heart that he won't get to know how great his dad was."

"We'll just have to be sure to tell him. How are you doing?" Oz asked, taking her hand for both their comfort.

Her eyes glittered dangerously. "Like I want the guys responsible to be alive so I get to kill them all over again," the Slayer growled. Oz found himself relieved not to be on the receiving end of her anger.

Oz looked at his cousin curled up in her lap. He seemed so content there – which kinda amazed him. But on the other hand, it make perfect sense. Oz knew that he would like to curl up with Buffy for comfort right now. "Do you want me to take Jordy?" he offered.

Buffy glanced down at her bundle. He had stopped crying and his eyes were closed. "Nah. I think he's asleep now."

"Wonder why he went to you – not that I blame him, mind you," Oz thought aloud, tacking on the compliment easily.

She smirked at him. "Charmer."

He continued on with his thoughts, pretending not to hear her, "The other strange thing is this is the first time he's broken down since Saturday."

"Well, he is related to _you_. Maybe stoicism is a family trait," Buffy pointed out.

Oz smirked back before his face changed to its thoughtful expression again. "It is. That's why this surprises me."

"We'll just have to ask him when he wakes up. Why don't you go get some rest? You're looking pretty wiped," Buffy told him after getting a closer look at him.

"Yeah, I haven't slept well since it happened." He suddenly looked very nervous. He wasn't sure how she would take his request. "Uhh, could I ask a favor?"

Curious about what would have made her friend so jumpy, Buffy assured him, "Anything. What's up?"

Oz sighed, deciding to just bite the bullet. "Well, it's kinda for both me and Jordy. It's best if he and I sleep together until he gets comfortable here…" he trailed off, praying she wouldn't make him say it.

Buffy made the intuitive leap and fought not to break out laughing. "Are you asking me to sleep with you?" she asked teasingly.

He blushed and started to stammer, "Umm--"

Then she remembered why Jordy was there and felt bad for the way she was acting. "I'm sorry. It isn't the right time to tease you like that. I think I understand. And it's not as if you're gonna try anything with your little cousin with us, right?" she asked rhetorically.

But Oz felt he should answer anyway. "Absolutely not!" he declared vehemently.

She nodded her agreement. "Alright then. Why don't we bunk down in my room? That way when Anya wakes up, she knows where to find me."

Oz tried not to cringe. If Anya caught them in bed together… He didn't want to hear the things she would say. "Oh, I really hope we wake up first. I can just imagine her reaction."

"Hopefully she'll see Jordy and know to keep quiet." Oz just raised an eyebrow. "Right. Forgot who we were talking about," Buffy said with her own prayer they'd wake up first.

* * *

**A few hours later…**

The ringing of the telephone woke Buffy out of her light slumber. She quickly checked on her bedmates as she snatched the offending item.

"Who is it?" she growled.

Gibbs' voice came over the line, his concern clear, "It's your dad. Did I call at a bad time? Did I wake you?"

Buffy shook off her annoyance, actually happy to hear from him. She left a message on his home voicemail when they got in earlier to let him know she was back. "Yeah, but that's okay. I just didn't want you waking up the others."

"Others? Who else is in your bed?!" Gibbs demanded. More than _one_ person was in her bed with her? What the hell was going on over there?

Buffy laughed quietly, carefully slipping out of the bed. She moved to the chair by the window. That way she was far enough to keep from waking them – hopefully – but still close enough in case Jordy woke up. "Chill, Papa Bear. Oz lost his aunt and uncle last weekend and had to take custody of his little cousin. Jordy decided to attach himself to me as soon as he felt me in the house. Since he cried himself to sleep, and Oz looked dead on his feet, I offered to let them sleep in my room with me."

Her father breathed a sigh of relief at the innocent answer, but was still confused by a couple things she said. "I don't understand. Felt you? And why would Oz need to sleep with you?" he questioned, but without the previous anger.

She sighed; she really needed to fill him in on everything soon so she didn't have to go through this every time something came up. "It's one of those supernatural things. They are werewolves and have a pack mindset. I'm Oz's Alpha – even though I'm not a wolf – and maybe that would explain Jordy's reaction to me as well. Huh." She thought to herself that it made sense. "Anyway, the two of them have been sleeping together until Jordy feels at home here so where one goes, so does the other, and we didn't have the heart to try to pry Jordy off of me."

"So your house is filling up," Gibbs pointed out needlessly. Another person he had to share her with. _Great_.

Buffy gave another slight chuckle before explaining, "More than you know. Anya and JR came back with me to stay here. I'm the only Slayer that treats her like family, so Xander asked me to look after them. You don't mind the family growing a lot, do you? 'Cause there's another one a couple months from making an appearance."

Gibbs did a quick mental tally of what was happening. He got his daughter back after almost 20 years and now had to share her with a houseful of people who she considered family but weren't blood related. He hoped he wouldn't regret his decision, but offered optimistically, "Wow. Not only do I get my daughter back, but she brings more family to care about. I'm sure that if you love them, so will I."

"Just remember you said that when you meet Anya," she said semi-ominously.

The tone wasn't lost on the trained investigator. "Why?"

"She's a bit of a handful. Think of a cross between Ziva and Faith," she told him as plainly as she could. There really wasn't any preparing for Anya.

Knowing the Mossad officer pretty well and remembering the brunette who breezed through a while back, Gibbs cringed at any combination of the two. "You're kidding, right?" he pleaded with her to be pulling his leg.

But she shot down his hope. "Nope. But she really is very kind-hearted if you can get past her bluntness. JR has mellowed her a little as well. At least she's learned not to share _all_ of her thoughts in front of just anyone."

He decided to set aside his worry for the time being and brought up the reason for his call – besides just checking in on her, "Well, I was just calling to see if you had plans for Thanksgiving."

Buffy looked at the pair still sleeping in her bed. They still appeared to be resting well; Jordy had turned to curl up with Oz, who wrapped his arms around his little cousin. "I honestly don't know. Sorry to steal the holiday from you since you and I have something to celebrate this year, but between the two tragedies, I'm not sure anyone else will be up to it."

Gibbs answered honestly, "Hey, just hearing that you feel thankful about our relationship is enough of a celebration for me. How old are the two children?" he inquired.

"Um, JR is a little over one year and I think Jordy would be about six or seven. Don't really know though," she replied, trying to study the young wolf for any indications about his age. All she knew was that he was young when he bit Oz about six years ago.

"If I could make a suggestion then? Ask Jordy what he wants. JR is too young to care, and I assume the rest of you would be willing to do what Oz's cousin would prefer," he guessed.

Even though he couldn't see her, Buffy nodded, "You're probably right there. Did you want to come over for dinner tonight? Meet everyone?" she offered, wanting to see him, but unwilling to leave any of her extended family right now.

Fighting the triumphant feeling of her wanting to see him, Gibbs decided not to be selfish. "Only if it wouldn't cause problems."

"I think if it's just you for tonight it should be okay. You aren't _that_ overwhelming," she teased. She knew if he wanted to be, he could intimidate just about anyone on the planet, but she also knew that when he didn't want to frighten people, he could be a very comforting presence.

Gibbs growled in mock annoyance, "Hey, watch it! You'll ruin my reputation if you keep saying stuff like that. Need me to bring anything?" he asked offhandedly.

Laughing at her dad's own slip, Buffy had to point out, "You were saying about your rep? Nah, just come and we'll see what everyone feels like eating. If we need to, we can make a run to the store later. Thanks, Papa Bear," she said sincerely.

"You got it, baby girl." Then he bit the inside of his cheek, hoping he didn't come to regret what he was about to say. "Try to get some more sleep. I'll let myself in."

"Sounds good," Buffy replied, saying goodbye, then shutting her phone. She slipped back into the bed behind Jordy, who snuggled into her embrace.

* * *

The evening was pretty quiet. Oz woke up a short time later and moved out to the living room just as Gibbs let himself in. The older man offered his condolences and said he spoke to Buffy earlier. They ordered dinner for everyone; Oz guessed what Anya would enjoy from what he remembered of her tastes back in Sunnydale.

It was a show of the depth of her grief that she didn't say much when she and JR joined them a few minutes afterward. Jordy woke up when he smelled the food arrive, and dragged Buffy out with him.

She had just been lying there, waiting for him to get up. Seeing as how he called her 'Alpha' when he opened his eyes, she guessed she was on the right track earlier about the reason for his behavior.

When they asked him about Thanksgiving, he requested that they skip it this year. Maybe he'd feel better by Christmas, but right now the pain was too overwhelming. Since none of the others were really in the mood either, they were more than willing to comply.

Buffy took the rest of the week off from NCIS to help her family settle in to their new home. After Oz and Jordy assured Anya that the younger wolf wouldn't bite her or JR, she was perfectly fine with having them in the house as well. She even looked somewhat relieved there were more people around. Ducky came by a couple times to check them, but decided to wait until they had recovered from their losses before he subjected them to his mother.

* * *

A/N: Small canon change here. MarcusRowland pointed out that Jordy was older when he bit Oz. However, I like the idea of a younger Jordy joining the unusual family. Therefore, the episode quote will be: "My cousin Jordy. Just got his **first** teeth in. Does not like to be tickled."

A/N2: Next…Anya, I promise! (I hope)


	27. Chapter 26: A New Therapy

**Chapter 26: A New Therapy**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: #4472 by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal, Chrislover and CindyB.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted In Honor of the 95th fav story, 163rd review and over 41,700 hits on ! **

* * *

The following month passed quickly and quietly for the mourning household. At least for the most part. Some noise began to weave its way in once the people inside started to come out of their grief.

**Jordy**

Jordy had attached himself even tighter to Buffy's side – to the point where she had to make up the bedroom next to hers for him. After a couple nights though, she had him try to sleep in his own bed and only come to hers or Oz's rooms if he woke up. As long as his wolf could sense his Alpha and/or packmate nearby, it kept him calm. And after a couple weeks, he managed to sleep through the night uninterrupted.

One thing that really helped the young boy to settle in was something Gibbs came up with – another person Jordy had attached himself to. The man felt like another Alpha to him, but not in the way that he was worried Buffy and Gibbs would fight for dominance…much. They seemed willing to share leadership around him.

After Gibbs offered his suggestion, Jordy's eyes lit up. "Really? We can build a treehouse?"

Relieved that his cousin looked happy again, Oz quickly agreed, "Buffy and I don't mind. It'd be cool – especially when JR gets old enough to use it too."

"Yeah. Go nuts, guys," Buffy encouraged, proud of her dad for coming up with the idea. Other than comforting Jordy, she was at a loss for how to help him.

"Thanks. Do either of you want to join us?" Gibbs offered, hoping they would take him up on it. He wanted to get to know Oz better, and he was always happy to spend time with his daughter.

Buffy thought about it, then shook her head. "I think I'll let this be a guy-bonding thing."

Guessing that Buffy wanted the three of them to bond, Oz shrugged in his Oz-way. "I'm a guy, so sure."

Jordy was beside himself with excitement now. He and his dad had talked about building a fort every now and then, but never got around to it. "Cool! So what can we put in this treehouse?"

Ruffling the young man's hair, Gibbs responded, "That's up to you. We'll make up some plans, then get started building it." He hoped Jordy didn't have overly elaborate plans since it was really starting to get cold outside. Usually he would wait until spring to do this, but Jordy needed it _now_.

Thinking for a moment, Jordy asked, "Can it even have a slide?"

Startled by the odd question, Oz asked in reply, "Sure. Why?"

"That way if JR comes up, he has an easier way to get down," Jordy answered. He knew JR was too young to go up now, but it wouldn't be _that_ much longer, right? Or was he being stupid about the idea?

Gibbs looked proud at the suggestion, though. "Sounds like a great idea. That's very considerate of you to think of him," he praised.

Jordy blushed, pleased that he made his male Alpha proud. "He's family, and we've both lost a dad; we have to look out for each other. Right, Oz?" he inquired of his older cousin.

"Number one rule," Oz agreed. He knew that Jordy saw Gibbs as another Alpha and actually was okay with it. If the situation were different, he knew that his cousin would have placed him in that role, but Oz's laid-back attitude wasn't that of an Alpha – not like Buffy and Gibbs' personalities. They were born to be Alphas.

Buffy and Gibbs smirked, each knowing they had their own number one rule and that wasn't it. But it was a good rule anyway; they both agreed silently it was just as important as theirs.

Gibbs started to wonder if maybe he should try again with his own father – if only to let the man know Buffy was alive. Huh, he realized it wasn't hard to think of her as Buffy anymore; the first month or so, he had to work to keep from calling her Kelly, but now it wasn't an issue for him anymore.

The young lady in question was thinking about different family members…sort of. She was worried about Anya. The grieving widow barely left her room, except for meals and walks with JR. The nights Buffy wasn't comforting Jordy, she spent holding a crying Anya. There had to be something to help Anya so she wasn't risking her children's physical or mental health. But it was doubtful Anya would want to build a treehouse too. What things made Anya happy?

While the guys planned their little hideaway, Buffy went to her room to ponder the other situation.

* * *

**Anya**

The mourning period for Anya and JR went much the same way. They shared a room on the other side of Buffy's because it had a small alcove that worked well as a nursery area. When JR graduated from his crib, he would need his own room, though.

Buffy tried to think of what could bring Anya out of her shell of grief. Well, for things that made Anya the happiest – aside from JR, that is – orgasms were out; sex always complicated life, even if it was supposedly 'strings-free'. Umm, making money? Maybe, but Anya wanted to be a stay-at-home mom until the kids started school. Okay, there were ways to make money at home, so that was a possibility. That left talking about her demon days.

Sheesh, Buffy had one of those 'Here's your sign' moments. They had never really asked Anya about her time as a vengeance demon 'cause she would always go into the gruesome ways she made men pay for scorning various women. But there were other things she knew from those 1100+ years…other demons. When she'd let something slip during their research sessions and they asked why she didn't say something earlier, she would reply that they didn't ask.

Deciding now was the best time to tackle this, Buffy let herself into Anya's room after getting the okay. She went over to the window seat where Anya was staring out at the woods. "Hey, Ahn? You need to get out of your bedroom for more than eating or short walks. I know it's hard, but Xander would want more for you and JR."

Anya looked up at her friend with pain-filled eyes. "I don't know who I am, Buffy. My whole existence has been tied to a guy: Aud and Olaf, Anyanka and D'Hoffryn, Anya and Xander. Who am I without them?" she pleaded.

Buffy sat down and slung her arm around her friend, giving her a gentle squeeze. "You still have a guy to define _part_ of your life: JR. But that's not the point. The point is you are _Anya_; we just have to find out more about her."

"How do I do that, though?" Anya persisted.

Deciding it was necessary to share one of the most painful times in her life, Buffy began to speak, "When I came back and found out Dawn 'ceased to be', I had the same sort of identity crisis. My blood family was gone and I didn't _want_ to be the Slayer anymore. Without those two things to define me, I didn't know who Buffy was."

Anya remembered those early days post-resurrection for Buffy. It was only after Giles showed up and took control of the situation that the blonde Slayer stopped looking quite so trapped by life. "What changed that? When you came back from your sabbatical with Giles, you seemed to know who you were."

"It was a suggestion of Giles'. I wrote my memoirs…from my earliest memories to my thoughts and feelings after coming back. The first draft was pretty rough; my mind kept skipping around." Buffy laughed softly as she recalled the time. "There were a few parts I repeated, sometimes more than once. But I just wrote everything out as it came to me. When I couldn't think of anything new, I organized my writing, and that helped me fill in a few more things."

"How did that help?" Anya wondered aloud.

Buffy sighed. "To be honest, I'm not sure I can explain. Maybe it was just the reminder that I didn't have to choose between Buffy and the Slayer; I could be both of them. Now, you obviously have more past to cover, but it still might help you. If nothing else, you have to know enough about demons to fill several of the Council's resource books. It'd be a shame to let that knowledge be wasted. But the important thing is for you to work out your problem; the other part can just be a good side effect, 'k?"

The idea of sharing her vast experience in the demonic world appealed to the ex-vengeance demon…a lot. "Actually, writing a demon manual might be just what I need. That would give me a sense of purpose again. Not to mention, it would help make up for all the pain and suffering I caused over the years."

Grateful that Anya was showing signs of coming out of her grief-induced funk, Buffy gladly encouraged her, "Hey, the Council would appreciate the inside scoop from someone we can trust. So, ready to face the rest of the house?" she asked, standing and offering a hand to her friend.

"I think so." Anya took the help standing, she had been sitting far too long to get up on her own. Buffy was right; Xander wouldn't like her moping about like this. Speaking of her dearly departed husband… "Oh, I just remembered that I need to threaten your father for Xander; he made me promise that I would," she explained.

Rather than feel put out by the comment, Buffy just smiled. If anything, she was happy Anya thought of it. The 'shovel talk' was an essential part of being a Scooby. "Will it be a Xander threat or an Anya one?" she questioned, worried that her dad might be in for a vivid threat if it was the latter.

"Hmm, a little of both, I think," Anya responded after considering it. She loved Xander, but his threats were not very creative.

"Can't wait to see what you come up with. Let's get moving. He's helping Oz and Jordy design a treehouse for the kids," Buffy told the other blonde. She went on to explain, "Part of Jordy's grieving therapy."

At that information, Anya frowned. "You're not supposed to tell me about nice things he's doing! That will make it harder to properly threaten him!" she remarked with a hint of pouting in her voice.

* * *

And so the next few weeks passed. Anya worked studiously on her demon journal, and the guys quickly built the treehouse, choosing to wait until spring for some of the additions, like the swinging tire. Still, they had a good – if somewhat cold – sleepout the first Friday after it was finished. Buffy had been kept busy bringing hot chocolate and coffee out to keep them warm, and had a warm fire roaring before they shuffled in come daybreak, teeth chattering from the cold.

Buffy and Anya laughed themselves silly at the sight of Jordy, Oz and Gibbs half-frozen in front of the fireplace. Then they took pity and brought breakfast as well as extra blankets to them so they wouldn't have to move. It was promptly decided that any further sleepouts would wait until warmer weather, too.

* * *

A/N: Next…Christmas in DC.


	28. Chapter 27: A New Branch

**Chapter 27: A New Person**

A/N: Sorry for the long delay; Musie just didn't want to write this chapter. However, I promised to do it, and I wanted to keep that promise. Just have to be careful about doing stuff like that in the future. This got to be so long, that I cut it into two chapters.

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: #4472 'Bunny is my what?' by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: Chrislover and AshDawnSoulmates. Sorry to the others, I just wanted to post the first part now.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belong to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted In Honor of the 180****th**** review and over 47,500 hits on !**

* * *

**Summers/Osbourne/Harris Home (aka DC headquarters of Ursagga Council)**

After having decided to caravan to the holiday party, the NCIS crew and company were startled by the woman – who was not Buffy – flinging the door open to let them in. _'She must be the widow of Buffy's friend,'_ was the consensus of those who hadn't met her before.

As she took their coats, Anya pointed to chairs and a rubber mat in the front entryway. "Welcome to our home! Please take your boots or shoes off if they could damage the floor or carpet. Repairing them is very expensive, and Buffy won't let me make you pay – even if it's your fault," she rambled.

Buffy heard her name and moved quickly to intercept before Anya could say anything really embarrassing. "Hey, everyone. I see you've already met Anya. JR – her and Xander's son – is sleeping right now, but he should be up soon. You all know Oz, and this is his cousin, Jordy. Guys, these are the crazy people at NCIS: Gibbs, Ducky, Tony, Ziva, Tim and Abby. The other lovely ladies are the rulers of Ducky's life: Mama Mallard and Lucy. The guy in back is someone I've never met. Gibbs?" she asked, looking at her father.

Gesturing for his friend to come forward, Gibbs began the introduction. "This is Mike Franks; he was my mentor when I started at NCIS. He just came up from Mexico as a surprise." He really hoped this introduction went well – seeing as how Franks was easier to talk to than his own father, Jackson. Franks was like the-- okay, fun would be stretching it, but the uncle you could go to when you couldn't talk to your parents.

The Slayer did a sort of threat assessment of the man standing before her. Except the threat he posed wasn't necessarily physical. She guessed his importance in her dad's life, and swallowed a nervous lump in her throat. Still, you couldn't let them see you sweat, so she put on her friendliest smile and held out her hand in greeting. "Hello, Mr. Franks. If Gibbs hasn't already told you, I'm Buffy Summers."

Franks did his own assessment of the petite blonde. Best to get this over with right away. That meant he had to get her alone to talk. "Good to meet you. I hear you have a barbecue set up and beer on ice… Lead the way."

Chuckling lightly, Buffy glanced at her watch to see it was still before noon. Then she saw the glint in his eye and sighed inwardly. Time for the interrogation. She only hoped it wouldn't ruin the gathering for everyone else. However, she opted for levity, "Gee, can't tell _he's_ retired. Oz? You and Jordy want to give the tour of the house so Anya can go get JR?"

"No prob," Oz agreed, sensing her agitation. As he passed Buffy, he gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

Gibbs was going to follow Franks and his daughter, but was stopped by looks from both of them. Despite his discomfort, he went to join the rest of the people on a tour of the house he knew almost as well as his own.

As soon as the others were out of earshot range, Franks started in bluntly, "So, you're the probie's long, lost daughter, huh?"

Surprisingly, Buffy wasn't put off by his attitude. She could only imagine what would happen if somebody showed up, claiming to be a family member of one of her friends that they thought was dead. "That's what the blood test told us – not to mention the WPP file about Mom and me."

"Why'd she let him think you two were dead?" he demanded, refusing to back down until he was satisfied she wouldn't hurt his friend.

Her head dropped momentarily; not in shame, but in grief. Three years later and it still hurt like it was yesterday. That's why she didn't let herself think about her mom too often. "Not sure, and we can't ask her 'cause she's dead," she answered as calmly as she could.

"How can you be certain of that? After all ,she faked it once before. Maybe she was trying to get away from you this time?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Franks knew he had gone too far.

Buffy must have agreed, since her eyes flashed in fury. He could see her clenching her jaw, fighting the urge to say something else. What she settled on saying hit him as hard as a heavyweight punch to the gut. "'Cause I found her body. And she died of a brain aneurysm," she bit out venomously, brushing away the tears to keep them from spilling over.

It was a good thing Gibbs hadn't come with them, and Franks knew that if he had, it wouldn't have been a metaphorical punch to the gut he felt. Hell, if it was possible to leave his body for a moment, _he'd_ punch himself for being such a-- He settled on trying to explain himself to the young woman before him, "God! I'm sorry for being such an ass. It just made me so angry to hear that she let Jethro believe you were gone. The man was broken."

Giving herself a few minutes to calm down, using almost every meditation technique Giles taught her – that didn't include showing off her Slayer-ness – Buffy reminded herself to think about this from Franks' point of view. When she finally felt like she was in control, she looked at him with understanding. After all, she _did_ understand that Joyce screwed up with both Gibbs and her when it came to their duty. "I get it. There were times when Mom did things that seemed pretty harsh. She just didn't handle loved one's in danger very well."

Grateful that she hadn't stormed off, Franks took a seat in the three-season porch where the food for grilling was set up. "Speaking from personal experience?" he asked in a much gentler tone.

Buffy chuckled ruefully. "A little."

He decided he liked her. With that figured out, he also decided that this interrogation was over. "We can talk about that some other time. This is supposed to be a happy occasion. I take it that the others don't know about you and probie?"

She nodded in return. "Only Ducky. We're waiting until everyone realizes that I got this assignment because of my abilities before we spring this on them." When she met his eyes again, he was startled to see the almost evil glint in hers. "So…as Gibbs' mentor, you must have some funny stories to share," she hinted.

Now Franks _knew_ he liked her a lot. "Get me a beer and I'll be happy to spill," he vowed.

Buffy reached into the cooler by the back door and grabbed one of her dad's favorite beers – and a diet Coke for herself. Then she gestured for them to go back into the living room where it was warmer. "Yay! I need the ammunition on him."

Jordy decided to take charge of the tour while he waited for his friends to show up. "Our bedrooms are on that side of the house, but you don't need to see them, so we'll skip that area. Oh! I know a cool room to show you! C'mon!" he ordered with childish exuberance as he lead them down to the basement.

"He looks much better since the last time I saw him," Ducky said softly to Oz, not really needing to hear about the house features Jordy was pointing out. He and Lucy had been over several times, with and without his mother.

Studying his cousin with a fresh perspective, Oz nodded, "Yeah. Buffy and Gibbs have been great for him, and he's made some friends at school. A couple of them are coming over this morning to hang out."

That surprised Gibbs. "On Christmas Eve? What did their parents have to say about that?"

Oz didn't really understand the big deal; maybe it was the Scooby way not to get too caught up on particular days. Then again, the other parents didn't seem upset, so maybe it was a Gibbs thing. "It's only for a few hours. Their families don't have anything planned until tonight or tomorrow, so they're cool with the kids having fun."

Before they could say anything else, Jordy announced loudly, "Here's our training room! I'm only allowed in the outer gym unless I'm with an adult."

Tony let out a low whistle as he looked around the room. The dumbbells were just regular dumbbells, but it was the electronic weight machines that got him excited. No noisy weights clanging while you worked out. Not to mention, how much you were lifting was private. Ever since that time he went to the gym at the Little Creek Naval Base and _women_ were outlifting him, Tony didn't like lifting weights in public gyms. "Man, the gym at NCIS isn't this well-equipped!" The he remembered the second part of the boy's comment and looked back at Jordy. "Why? What's in the other part?"

"Is this what was taking so long with your remodeling? Why you weren't able to have the team over earlier?" Ziva asked.

Buffy and Oz had discussed what they could tell others about their house and the Council. As long as it wasn't anything specific, it should be safe. "Partly. The inner gym and some other rooms required special equipment and security."

"Why?" His curiosity aroused, Tim piped up this time. Then he quickly added, so it didn't seem like he was snooping, "That is, if you can tell me."

The topic was still a safe one, so Oz answered, "Because this is now the official DC branch of the Ursagga Council. She and I are the current caretakers – for lack of a better term. If necessary, we'll build on for more living space in case we get more Council members or students."

Abby turned back to look at the redhead. "Students?"

Carefully choosing his words, Oz explained, "The Council attracts a special kind of person to join. If they meet our criteria, we start training them as early as middle school."

"What are the criteria?" Tony inquired this time. They were like a tag team with their questions.

Okay, now they crossed the line and Oz needed to stop it. "That's need to know. If you're asked to join, then we would tell you."

Wanting to help the young man, Ducky changed the subject to a safer one, "Can we see the inner gym?"

Breathing an inner sigh of relief, Oz shot the ME a grateful look. "Sure, I guess it couldn't hurt."

As he put his thumb on the pad and looked into the screen, Abby declared excitedly, "Wow! A biometric/retina scanner? This is like NCIS!"

Smirking, Oz walked in the secured gym to turn the lights on. "A little. Just our way of not having to worry about keeping track of company when they're visiting. This way, they can't get into secure areas, and we don't have make them feel like they're not trusted to walk around."

Almost instantaneously, Ziva's eyes were drawn to the weapons cage to their left. "Those are some very unusual weapons you have. Any reason why you train with crossbows or swords?"

"Sometimes guns aren't a good idea," Oz replied vaguely. "Anybody interested in trying their hand at one of them?"

Ducky was enamored with the sight of their cache of blades. He was very intrigued at the notion of modern day people using weapons for actual combat, but he knew he couldn't ask about that at the moment. "I would love to have a go with the foils."

"I can spar if you'd like. The protective gear is right over there; Buffy insists on safety first," Oz explained to the group.

After a short, restrained sword fight, Tony started bouncing like a little boy on-- well, Christmas morning. "Cool Can I use one of the crossbows?"

The mannerisms reminded Oz of Xander. He could see what Buffy saw in the NCIS agent that made her like the man, despite her earlier impressions of him. "Sure. Anyone else? We have four shooting lanes for training."

With that offer, Ziva, Abby and Tim eagerly step forward to join Tony. The others had already had the pleasure of using the range here, even Mama Mallard – although she only used a tranq gun.

Twenty minutes later, Abby reluctantly handed back the crossbow. "Can we do this again later?"

Knowing how much fun this could be when you didn't have to use these to save the world on a semi-regular basis, Oz gave her an indulgent mini-smile. "Buffy or I have to be with you, but other than that, there's no problem. We should probably get back upstairs now though. She's liable to come looking for us if we mess up her schedule for today. Trust me, she's scary when that happens."

* * *

A/N: Next… Christmas Eve, Part 2.


	29. Chapter 28: A Old Tradition

**Chapter 28: A Old Tradition**

A/N: This is part 2 of the Christmas Eve scene.

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: #4472 by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal, Chrislover and AshDawnSoulmates.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belong to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted In Honor of the all the great responses from both sites!**

* * *

**Summers/Osbourne/Harris Home (aka DC headquarters of Ursagga Council)**

The minute they came back into the living room, Buffy pounced on them. "There you guys are! It's time to start the grilling. Gibbs, Franks…you're in charge of that. Jordy, your friends are in the back yard, working on some snow tunnels. Oz can check the rest of the food while I get you settled in the entertainment rooms." When they hesitated, she barked out, "Let's go, people!"

"Wow! I see what Oz meant. She's like a young, female Gibbs," Abby whispered to the others as they followed Buffy down another hallway.

Since she wasn't supposed to hear, Buffy bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Ducky didn't bother to restrain himself however and began chuckling. If only Abby knew how true that statement was.

Opening the French doors, Buffy announced proudly, "This is the media room; if you want to watch a game or movie, there's a couple TVs for that. Next room over is the game room; we have a pool table, board games, video games, dart boards – both sharp and rubber-tipped," she said as she pointed to the various areas.

Then she turned to walk over to another part of the room that was accessible by both entertainment areas. "It shouldn't take us long to double-check everything; it was set up early this morning. Drinks are behind the bar; alcoholic beverages are locked up so the kids can't get to them. If you leave the room unattended, please make sure the locker is shut tight," Buffy requested as she used the same biometric/retina scanner they had downstairs to unlock the locker in question.

This was a little more than was expected for locking up alcohol. Ziva was the only one to voice her confusion though, "You take your security very seriously. Do you really think Jordy will take alcohol?"

Remembering the crazy stunts teenagers pulled – even Scoobies sometimes – Buffy didn't feel it was overkill. "If he doesn't, then a friend will…or a friend of a friend – you get the idea. We trust Jordy until he gives us a reason not to. However, it's a different case with kids we don't know. Think of it as CYA taken a step further. This way, if there's a party and something alcohol-related happens, we can honestly say we tried to keep it from happening."

Ziva shook her head in more confusion. "CYA?"

"Cover your ass. Lawyer talk to keep us and the Council save from lawsuits. Plus, it's the right thing to do. Make yourselves comfortable, and we'll be right back." Then Buffy left them to find their own fun. Mama Mallard and Lucy decided to watch _'White Christmas'_, while some of the others turned on the pregame show. Abby, Ziva and Ducky passed both those activities up to throw darts in the other room.

**Several hours later…**

They had retired to the living room to enjoy drinks and cookies. Jordy already had his desert and went to bed in anticipation of Santa's nocturnal visit; the fairytale version and not Anya's.

"I would like to thank you lovely, young ladies for an absolutely scrumptious dinner. And you, too, Mr. Osbourne…sorry, Oz," Ducky corrected himself after the young man glanced at him.

Buffy beamed with pride. "We are happy that you enjoyed yourself. It makes all the preparations worth it."

"Speak for yourself. You didn't have yourself to deal with," Anya muttered none-too-softly. To gain support, she explained, "She had us cooking and preparing for the last week!"

"I wasn't that bad, was I?" Buffy asked sheepishly. Actually, she already kinda knew the answer, but this was her first holiday party with her dad, so she figured she had the right to go crazy.

Oz smirked at her. "Sorry, Buffy. Gotta agree with Anya. You are at your scariest when it comes time for a holiday gathering. But the good news is, nobody got shot at this year," he said without thinking. The ones who didn't know the truth about the Council were startled by the pronouncement. What kind of lives did these people have that they expected to get shot at all the time?

Not worried that an important clue about them slipped out, Buffy grinned happily. "That's true! Maybe the holiday curse is over. Ah crap, now I just jinxed it for next time."

Sensing the need to break the current line of conversation, Mama Mallard remarked, "I've been meaning to ask you about your decorations. They are very unusual."

"Oh, they're a tradition from my childhood. The apples serve as protection for the house and all who live within. Lemons are to purify the house from negative spirits and feelings, thus promoting friendship. And the cypress with lavender helps promote a feeling of calmness so we can get restful sleep," Anya recited.

Ziva studied the decorations with skepticism. "You really believe that?"

Buffy knew she needed to step in before Anya said anything blatant about their world. "Not just us; even Madison Avenue believes it – in a roundabout way. There's all sorts of cleaning products that incorporate lemons or lemon juice. Same thing with sleep products and cypress or lavender. People spend lots of money on aromatherapy items to get what we have here just from things we picked up at the local farmers' market."

Tim thought that actually made sense. "And the apples?"

"So we only have our fellow wiccans to keep us company on that belief…for now." Buffy took a deep breath before she went on, "I told you that we mix our holidays around here. There's the Menorah and the Christmas tree to represent Judaism and Christianity. The pouches are for Wicca. We don't expect you to believe, but we do insist that you respect our right to believe what we want."

"I'm sorry, I meant no offense," Ziva apologized, realizing she had overstepped with her tone.

Anya shrugged off the Mossad agent's minor social transgression. "That's okay. It's probably just been too long since you had an orgasm friend. You and Tony should give each other orgasms."

"Anya!" Buffy whispered harshly while most of the people in the room choked – either in embarrassment or amusement.

The former vengeance demon rolled her eyes at the Slayer, knowing that she agreed with the assessment. Buffy often came home grumbling that the two should just get a room. "What? The sexual tension between them is so thick, you'd need a chainsaw to cut through it. Like that one year with Giles on Halloween. Wow, didn't he look very Ripperish that night?" Her eyes glazed over slightly at the memory. She shook herself to come back to the present. "Anyway, those two should get to it already. Oh, and Tim and Abby should become orgasm friends, too."

Before anyone could comment on that, JR suddenly chirped, "'Gasm!"

"JR! It's your first word!" Anya praised, looking very excited.

Somehow he knew that he did something good, so JR started repeating, "'Gasm! 'Gasm! 'Gasm!"

Then Anya turned serious; almost everyone thought she was going to scold him or try to get him to stop saying it. They were shocked when all she said was, "No, sweetie, not 'gasm…it's pronounced _OR_-gasm. Can you say _OR_-gasm?"

Franks just stared in fascination at the young mother and child. "Is she seriously trying to get her baby to say that word correctly?" he asked Oz, who was sitting next to him on the couch.

Oz just chuckled softly. "That's Ahn for you. She has her own _style_ of music to march to."

"I like it! She speaks her mind and doesn't care what others think. Plus, she's right about those four. Even _I_ can sense the tension between them," Mama Mallard declared before adding, "What I don't understand is why she hasn't said anything about you and Buffy."

Buffy whimpered softly; they didn't need people interfering in their love lives – or lack thereof. "Mama Mallard, Oz dated my best friend. Even if there was interest on both sides, it would just make things too awkward."

The elderly lady just scoffed, "Nonsense! Unless they just broke up within the last year, I see no problem with you two finding some happiness together."

Not wanting to discussing his daughter's romantic involvement with a guy – _especially_ one that she lived with – Gibbs stood up. "And on that note, I think it's time we all head out. I'm sure everyone has to get sleep for their plans tomorrow."

Despite his earlier comment, Gibbs was the last one to leave. He wanted to talk to Buffy first. "Remember, I want to be on the road by six."

"Why do we have to get up at such an inhuman hour on Christmas morning?" Buffy pouted at her dad.

But he was having nothing to do with it. "Quit whining, sweetie. You get up earlier than that almost every day. It's a five hour drive, and we want to spend as much time there as possible before we come back," he reminded her.

Since she knew complaining was a lost cause, Buffy gave up. "Alright, we'll leave right after Jordy opens his presents from Santa. If he doesn't wake up by five, we'll wake him."

"He still believes in Santa Claus?" Gibbs asked, somewhat surprised by that. He thought kids today were more cynical than that.

She shrugged. "Not sure, but we want to try to maintain the illusion of childhood innocence as long as we can. It will be years before I let Anya tell him the truth about Santa though." When he look questioningly at her, she continued briefly, "Demon that disemboweled children; don't ask."

"Wouldn't even _want_ to know," Gibbs answered. Even though there was a small part of him that thought it was an interesting subject, the majority of him was horrified by the idea there were creatures that targeted children. Then he remembered that his daughter fought those things and felt immensely proud.

Buffy was confused by the sudden smile on her dad's face, but moved on to the other question she had for him. "So, have you told him that we're coming?"

He shook his head. "It's better if we wait until we're there. This isn't something you just announce over the phone."

"Okay, but I hope he has a strong heart." She didn't think it was a good idea to surprise him, but hoped that Gibbs knew him better. She knew that he wouldn't put anyone he cared about at risk, so that was good.

Anya poked her head in the entryway to warn Buffy's father, "Just remember, Agent Gibbs, you hurt her…" She held his gaze for several seconds before cuddling JR closer to her and walking back to their bedroom.

"So what was the threat she finally decided on?" Buffy asked.

Looking back at his daughter, Gibbs replied, "Well, the one she passed on for Xander went something like: _'Hurt her and I'll beat you to death with a shovel, then use it to bury the body. A vague disclaimer is nobody's friend.'_ It sounded like it came from a script of some kind."

She nodded. "Yeah, it was one of Willow's. Too bad she didn't follow through on the threat though. The guy she said it to was Riley."

Gibbs' eyes narrowed in annoyance. "That was the guy that pissed you off when you first got here, right?"

"Yup. But back to the threats; what was Anya's? I'm sure she came up with something a little more…descriptive."

Recalling both the words and the look in her eyes as she said it, Gibbs winced. "Uhh, it basically came down to that if I ever let you down, she'd make sure I'd never be able to become a father again."

"Sounds like Ahn. She likes threatening the manhood. Just be glad she'd have to do it the human way; at least then, we'd have a chance to stop her before it happened," Buffy replied seriously.

"Not exactly the greatest reassurance, honey," he complained.

She beamed up at him. "How 'bout this? You've heard basically everything that could make you turn your back on me, and you haven't. I doubt you could possibly fail me in any serious way."

He leaned in to give her a tight hug and a kiss in her hair. "Much better. Love you, baby girl."

"You too, Papa Bear," Buffy murmured back, thrilled to relax into his grasp. "Now you'd better get going – unless you want to stay here tonight?" She was happy to see him hang his coat back up and follow her to the guest room next to Oz.

* * *

A/N: The Santa stuff came from season 5, episode 16 _'The Body'_. A holiday flashback while Joyce was still alive.

A/N2: Next… Christmas Day visit.


	30. Chapter 29: An Old Surprise

**Chapter 29: An Old Surprise**

A/N: NCIS canon change – Shannon's parents died shortly after Kelly was born. Obviously, who they visit will not be a surprise to anyone. This will be at least a two-part visit.

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: #4472 by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal and Chrislover.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted In Honor of over 200 reviews and story alerts on !**

**Stillwater, PA**

When the door to his dad's home opened, Gibbs greeted him calmly – at least on the surface – "Hey, Jack."

Blinking back the surprise of seeing his son again, Jackson blurted out, "Jethro! What are you doing here?"

"Not happy to see me?" Gibbs asked, not really offended by the backhanded welcome.

Jackson stepped aside to let Jethro in. "Of course I am; just haven't seen you since--"

Seeing his dad falter at the mention of the funerals, Gibbs quickly cut in, "Well, that's actually what I'm here to talk to you about. Why don't you have a seat?" he suggested. Maybe Buffy was right about this being too much for the old man.

Jackson grew suspicious. First the unannounced visit, then wanting to talk about the girls. Something weird was going on here. "What's the matter?" he demanded.

"Just sit down so I can tell you." After his dad took a chair, Gibbs took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He figured that it was best to just do it fast – like ripping off a Band-Aid. "The accident that supposedly killed them only injured them. After that, Shannon chose to go into the Witness Protection Program with Kelly. Long story short, Kelly is back and working at NCIS – only she goes by the name Buffy Summers now. She doesn't remember being Kelly Gibbs either."

A few minutes of the clock ticking loudly passed as Jackson tried to wrap his head around the announcement. Despite his deep desire for it to be true, he had to ask, "So, wait! How do you know she's really Kelly? Maybe this is some kind of sick joke."

Gibbs understood his dad's reaction; really, he did. If things had been different when she first got there, he probably would have been more leery about the coincidence, too. "For one thing, I knew before she did; for another, we had a blood test done. She's Kelly, and she's outside, waiting in the car."

Standing up, Jackson glared at his son. "In this weather? Get the poor girl inside! I raised you better than to leave a woman sitting out in a freezing car," he rebuked harshly.

Already halfway out the door, Gibbs called over his shoulder, "You got it, Pops."

After hauling in a bunch of bags containing leftovers from their feast the day before and unpacking them in the kitchen, Gibbs went back into the living room where his daughter and dad were standing there in awkward silence. That was unusual for his bubbly girl.

Before he could say anything though, Buffy started talking, "Umm…hello, sir. It's good to meet you. I've never had grandparents before. I mean, of course I've _had_ them; I just never had the chance to meet them. Mom's died before I was old enough to remember them, right?" Gibbs nodded. "Well, and Hank's-- uh, they never cared about meeting me. I thought they just didn't like that he married Mom. Guess it was 'cause I wasn't really related to them."

Jackson's heart melted at the sight of the young pixie shifting from one foot to the other. Despite his earlier misgivings, he fell in love with his granddaughter all over again. "Shush, child; relax. Did you even breathe during that whole speech?"

Buffy felt his acceptance and smiled brightly. "Just learned the art of babble from Willow, and then practiced some more recently with Abby. So, what should I call you?" she asked shyly.

"What do you call Jethro?" he inquired, fighting the urge to rush over to her and grip her so tightly she couldn't disappear again.

"Most of the time I call him Gibbs – 'cause not too many people at work know about us yet." She ducked her head in an adorable fashion as she continued, "In private, though, I call him Papa Bear or sometimes Daddy, if I'm really emotional…which I try not to be."

Seeing his son choke up at her admission, Jackson responded thickly, "Nothing wrong with emotions, and I imagine finding out your dad isn't who you thought he was is cause for lots of emotions. Well, I called _my_ grandfather Dada, but if that sounds too juvenile, you can always add Jack to it."

Buffy rolled the name over and over in her mind to get a sense for it, "Dada Jack…hmmm, I like it."

"So do I." Jackson's control finally snapped and he held out his arms to her. "Now come over here so your Dada Jack can give you a hug."

Her own control gone in the wind, she threw herself into his arms, unable to stop the tears from falling. He just held her while she cried. Gibbs walked over so he was next to them and took Buffy's hand to offer comfort.

Jackson moved them so they were sitting on the couch. "I guess we have about 20 Christmases and birthdays to make up for," he murmured into her hair.

Buffy shook her head though, not willing to move back far enough to look him in the eye. So basically it felt like she was wiping her head against his chest. "I'd rather start from scratch. We can never get back what might have been, and to be honest, I don't want to try. So far, me and Papa Bear have been doing a good job of becoming father and daughter based on who we are now. Can I do the same thing with you?"

He tilted his face to kiss the top of her head. "I'll accept whatever relationship I can have with you. What about your mother? How is she handling all this?" Jackson inquired, belatedly realizing that they hadn't really discussed Shannon yet.

Gibbs winced as he saw Buffy stiffen. "Sorry, I didn't get a chance to tell him," he apologized to her before explaining to his dad, "Dad, Shannon died a few years ago of a brain aneurysm. Buffy was the one who found her."

Jackson's arms just tightened around his granddaughter. "Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Was there anyone to help you?"

"Yeah, I had my friends and…" Buffy trailed off painfully.

"Who?" Jackson gently prompted.

Buffy bit her lip, trying to figure out if she should say. "It's just I haven't talked much about this, and I'm not sure our first Christmas together is the best time to tell you, Dada Jack."

The middle-generation member of the Gibbs family gently stroked Buffy's hair, reminding her, "There really isn't a good time for it, baby girl. I think it's best to get all the emotional stuff out at once." His tone turned slightly teasing then, "Besides, didn't you once tell me that it isn't really a holiday or birthday until you've suffered some gut-wrenching misery?"

To Jackson's surprise, Buffy giggled. When she turned back to her grandfather, she was still clinging tightly to Gibbs' hand that wasn't in her hair. She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly, trying to collect herself.

"Okay, if you're sure you want to do this now…" Jackson nodded warily. "I had my friends and my _sister_ to help me get through Mom's illness and death. Then everything fell apart when some nutcases took my sister, Dawn. They wanted to sacrifice her for their goddess. I tried to save her, but I was hurt really bad. When I woke up 147 days later, Dawn was gone…dead. Before the 'sacrifice', they erased her existence somehow. Only my friends and I remembered her anymore. The schools, Hank…nobody else knew about her."

Jackson's expression was indecipherable while he listened to her description of events. "What happened to these people? Did the police get them?"

Buffy shook her head, "No, but they aren't a danger anymore."

"How can you say that? What happens the next time they think their goddess needs a sacrifice?" Jackson demanded; something about his tone was niggling at the back of Buffy's brain.

"Because there isn't going to _be_ a next time," she replied harshly. She knew it was risky to admit this to a stranger – even if he was related to her. Maybe _especially_ since he was related. Who knows what his reaction would be, after all. "My friends and I killed them all – _including_ their goddess. We knew they couldn't be brought to trial, but we weren't going to let them get away with what they did. The ones who survived the battle when I was injured were tracked down once I recovered." As soon as she calmed herself down, Buffy realized how bad this must sound to him. "I suppose you think I'm a horrible person now, right?"

There was that look again in his eyes. Jackson seemed to be debating something in his mind. Finally he asked, "Before I answer that, can I ask you a question or two – without you assuming I'm crazy?"

"Uhh, sure." This sounded suspiciously familiar to the Slayer.

"Jethro?" When he got his son's agreement, Jackson continued, "Do you believe in the supernatural? Witches, vampires, that sort of thing? The reason I ask is the situation you describe sounds like it could have been a _real_ sacrifice. It would explain how Hank didn't remember his own daughter."

Flabbergasted at his dad's obvious prior knowledge, Gibbs bit out, "You knew about this stuff and never told me?"

Buffy muttered under her breath, "Pot…kettle; let's talk."

Jackson just glared back at his son. Huh, it _was_ hereditary. "If I had told you, you would have thought I was crazy. Besides, it sounds like you already know."

Suddenly Buffy couldn't stand it anymore and yelled out, "What the heck? Does our family have some kind of supernatural bull's-eye plastered on it? Did a Slayer save you, too, Dada Jack?" Odd as it might seem, that pet name came very easy to her.

"Don't know who or what a Slayer is," Jackson replied, shaking his head. "I know about demons and vamps from a program I was in during WWII."

And there was that gut-wrenching misery she was waiting for. "Oh goddess, it wasn't the Initiative, was it?" Buffy pleaded, hoping against all common sense that she wasn't right.

He was startled at both her knowledge of the program and her apparent unease about it. "Yeah, The Demon Research Initiative. How did you know that?" Jackson inquired.

Buffy let out an un-Slayerlike whimper, followed by a very Slayerlike growl. "Because they are the biggest pain in my butt. Or they were until I had the President shut them down."

Recalling all the good they did back in his day, Jackson was stunned. "Why would you do that?"

"They created messes that my people and I had to clean up…twice," she snarled before she caught herself. She had to remind herself that things changed, and maybe what her grandpa was involved with wasn't the same organization she had to fight against.

Jackson didn't want to believe his granddaughter would do anything bad, but he was baffled how she could be on the opposite side of the DRI. "I don't understand; how could them fighting demons and learning better ways to do it cause trouble?" he questioned with clear confusion.

"They didn't stop with fighting them. They wanted to learn better ways to control them by putting behavior chips in them or building a 'better' soldier, using different demon parts," Buffy explained, disgust dripping from her voice.

The former DRI operative was horrified. Had they been doing things like that when he worked for them? "My god! What were they thinking? How could they possibly control creatures like that?"

Buffy snorted, "They couldn't, hence the need for us to clean up after them. The first time was during my freshman year in college when they Frankenstein'd Adam: part demon, part human, part computer and powered with uranium. It took four of us and some serious mojo to take him down. It almost cost us our lives, too. It cost them 40% of their people. I assumed they would be smart enough to learn from that fiasco not to mess with the supernatural again."

Hearing the answer in her voice, Jackson still asked the semi-rhetorical question, "I take it they didn't?"

She shook her head sadly, "Nope. A few months ago, I got a call from my ex – who was part of the original program, and who I _thought_ knew better – and he was calling to ask for help to clean up another mess. This time they tried to make vampires daylight-proof, hoping that the behavior chips would keep them in line."

Totally lost, Jackson asked, "How would that help?"

"The chips are supposed to make them unable to hurt humans," Buffy explained.

"What happened?"

"The chips shorted out from the added stress of the vamps being in daylight. So now they had daylight-proof vamps without anything stopping them from making snacks of the local population. It took a Slayer team almost a month to track them all down. Fortunately for us, they had a list with sketches of all the vamps they did this to. The other thing that made it easier was that the daylight-proofing wasn't something that could be passed from sire to childe," she said with a sigh of relief. What a fiasco _that_ would have been!

Jackson breathed his own sigh of relief before a horrible thought occurred to him. "How can they be sure the vampires didn't get their hands on the formula?"

The Council had the same fear and asked the surviving members of the Initiative who wanted to work with them about it.

"'Cause a friend of mine destroyed it and all the materials associated with it as soon as he found out that they had gone back to experimenting. Graham couldn't stop what happened with the vamps, but he could keep them from making it worse." Buffy bit her lip, ashamed about what she was going to say, but said it anyway, "It may be horrible of me to say this, but I'm just glad the vampires killed the scientists who knew the formula instead of turning them. By the time they calmed down from their murderous rage, all that was left were the technicians who didn't know squat. They were the ones who proved it didn't survive the sireing process."

Reeling from the shock of her news, Jackson leaned back in his chair. "I just can't believe that the organization I trusted turned into something like that. Was it ever what I thought it was?"

Buffy shrugged helplessly. She really hoped it was what he believed in, but she couldn't lie to him. "I don't know, Dada Jack, but I'm gonna ask the President to get me the complete history of the group to find out."

"Why would he give you that information?" Jackson asked. Were the surprises ever going to stop?

"Because your granddaughter is the top Slayer for the Council," Gibbs proclaimed proudly.

Rolling her eyes at him, Buffy teased, "Gee, Dad, can you sound any more like a parent whose kid made the honor roll?"

Gibbs was in a oddly playful mood and so he tweaked her nose in response. "Hey, kiddo, it's a big deal to me; I get the joy of knowing you keep the world safe."

"Well, me and about a thousand other people at the Council – not to mention all the freelancers who hunt demons. Granted, some of them are bad guys too." At her dad's confused look, she explained, "They don't care about evil or not evil; they just kill all supernatural creatures…even people like Oz and Jordy."

Remembering a term that came up several times already, Jackson finally asked, "What's a Slayer?"

Resigned to having to do her version of 'the spiel', Buffy began, "Okay, so up until me, she was the one girl in all the world, supernaturally gifted to fight the demons and vampires. When I was sixteen, I died, and that Called the next Slayer. For the next six years, there were two of us. But then last spring, we needed extra help to fight the biggest of the baddies, so my witchy friend cast a spell on the Slayer's weapon, which activated all the girls who were Potential Slayers. Now we have hundreds of Slayers, and we're still finding more of them." She went on to give him the lowdown about how things were before the Scoobies took over the Council and how they were now.

Jackson's expression was one of pure anger as she finished up. "So they would have taken you from Jethro and Shannon if you hadn't 'died'?"

"They would have tried," Gibbs growled.

Buffy gave him a sad look. "And probably succeeded. Even if you had been able to stop them the first time, they would have just come back with greater fire power. They might have just killed you and Mom if you made it too difficult for them. As much as it hurt you to think we were dead, I'm glad that it happened this way. If it hadn't, they would have turned me into a drone, and Dada Jack would probably be the only one of us still alive."

Feeling the need to get them away from that topic, Jackson smiled at his granddaughter – his own pride evident. "Well, I'm just glad that these girls have you looking out for them. It sounds like you and your friends are perfect for this responsibility. I do want to know how this got you into NCIS, though."

She shrugged again, not worried she was admitting a weakness of sorts. "Since there are only a handful of Watchers left – that we trust to help us rebuild – we decided that we needed to learn how to run an organization from the best groups in the world. I started by coming to NCIS."

"When you're done there, then you'll be moving on? Do you know where?" Jackson asked, wondering how long he would have with her before he lost her again.

"Nope, but I'm not worrying about that just yet." She chuckled, looking at her dad. "Giles told me that Mossad is interested in having Faith go work with them."

Gibbs' expression wasn't as amused, though. "That could be dangerous. Can you be sure she won't shift her loyalty to them?"

"I'm sure other people are worried the same thing could happen with me – especially seeing as how I'm working with my dad. But yeah, I trust Faith; she's learned the hard way to stay loyal to the group. While it's more difficult to live with the restrictions we have, deep down she's happier with us, and nobody can change that." Her eyes turned hard and calculating. "I pity anyone that tries 'cause they're gonna have one hell of a fight with her. We told that to the Mossad, and they assured us they wouldn't try. Not that I don't believe they'd love to have a Slayer in their organization, but they wouldn't risk the world for it. So they do believe in one thing above their mission," Buffy conceded. Something about their director rubbed her the wrong way.

Just then, Buffy's stomach rumbled, reminding them all they needed to have their Christmas celebration meal. They moved into the kitchen and began to warm up all the leftovers Buffy and Gibbs brought with them.

A/N: During the episode "Frame UP", Gibbs mentions that his father painted pin-up girl Betty Grable on the nose of his P-51. From this it is possible that Jackson served in the USAAF during World War II. (from wikipedia)

A/N2: Next…Snippets of the past. {I may need some help here, folks. What are some amusing stories Jackson can tell Buffy about Gibbs' childhood?}


	31. Chapter 30: Old Blackmail

**Chapter 30: Old Blackmail**

A/N: This is really short – compared to other chapters, but there really isn't much to cover here. It's mostly filler.

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: #4472 by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal, Chrislover and CindyB.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted In Honor of wanting to get this chapter out! LOL. Thanks for all the support, folks!**

**Jackson's home**

The three generations of Gibbses quickly had the food warmed up and ready for munching, then settled down to eat. To the middle Gibbs' – Jethro's – dismay, Jackson and Buffy passed the time by telling stories about him. Buffy basically just had the one where she tossed him around on the mat her first day with him. She kindly left out that he was extra-snarky to her, guessing that Dada Jack would be very unhappy about it.

But Jackson…Jackson had 20+ years of stories and he wasn't hesitant about sharing any of them…beginning with when he was cutting his first tooth and wouldn't stop crying. Jackson's family had the old home remedy of rubbing whiskey on his gums. Unfortunately, Jackson didn't know that you had to be careful about how much you used and manage to get Baby Gibbs drunk.

Buffy gasped out while she was laughing, "So _that's_ why you're such a big fan of bourbon, Papa Bear! Now it all makes sense."

"Keep on laughing, baby girl. I heard about a certain Cave-Buffy incident?" Gibbs teased back, inwardly thanking Anya for the ammunition.

Her eyes widened in horror at his implied threat. "You wouldn't! Who told you about that?"

Gibbs just shook his head. "Gotta protect my sources, you should know that by now." He went on to share the story with his dad, who howled in laughter until he heard _why_ Buffy was drinking with those boys in the first place. The look he shared with his son would have scared Angelus away from their baby girl. Parker wouldn't stand a chance if they ever came across him.

Sensing the need to steer conversation back to a safer topic, Jackson recounted a fishing trip they took one year. Apparently Jethro had been having the worst luck all week; not so much as a nibble, when his line finally went tight. However, when he reeled in his hard-fought catch, all that remained on the hook was the fish's eye…just one eye.

Jackson offered the young angler $5 – a lot in those days – if he could catch the rest of the fish before they went home. So for the next three days, Jethro spent all his waking hours – and a couple sleeping ones – with his line in the water, trying to catch that damn fish. He managed to haul in quite a few others, but no luck with that one. It didn't even occur to the boy to rip an eye out of a different fish and claim it was the right one.

Both Jackson and Buffy were torn between pride and amusement on that story, though amusement won out in the end.

By that point, the food was on the table and they were enjoying their lunch. Which reminded Jackson of yet another story about Jethro's childhood. Seems he had this crush on the school cafeteria lady and would ask her for extra mashed potatoes so he could sculpt something for her. Kind soul that she was, she gave it to him, but insisted that when he was done, he would have to eat all of it. When his crush was over at the end of the year, he had eaten so many mashed potatoes, he didn't touch another bite for four years.

Buffy shuddered as she remembered the mind reading incident. "Good thing it wasn't our lunch lady. First, I'd have to wonder about your taste in women. Second, she would have poisoned you with her Mulligan stew."

"My goodness, child, you have an endless supply of these stories, don't you?" Jackson asked.

She shrugged casually. "Eh, not endless, but probably enough to keep us going for a few dinners. So, tell me another story about Papa Bear," she demanded with an evil gleam in her eyes.

Jackson thought for a moment, then began, "Well, there's the time he told the priest at the church that maybe he shouldn't be partaking of Christ's blood so often. He even used those words: 'partaking of Christ's blood'. Jethro was right; the man was drunk half the time, but most of us were too kind to put it so bluntly. On the other hand, he did lay off after that, so maybe Jethro was right."

Remembering something she had thought about before, Buffy inquired. "Were you happy he joined the Marines?"

"Yes and no." Jackson ignored Gibbs' shocked expression to explain, "I was worried he was doing it for the wrong reasons, and I would have liked for him to follow in my footsteps…joined the Air Force – or in my day, the Army Air Corps. Those things aside though, I was proud he didn't wait to be forced into service like some of the boys in town," he finished, the disdain in his voice clear to the other two.

Smiling fondly, Gibbs cut in at that point, "It's how I spoke to your mother for the first time. I had seen her around several times, but never talked before the day I got on the train to go to basic training. We sat and talked the whole time until the train arrived, then promised to keep in touch. She's who gave me the idea for my rules of living."

"Yeah, me too," Buffy agreed sadly. "Course, I didn't really appreciate those rules until it was too late to tell her. Or almost too late. We managed to find common ground during the early days of her illness. I hope it would have continued if she lived."

"I'm sure it would have, baby girl." Deciding to move away from the painful subject, Gibbs thought of a way to get even with his dad for the earlier stories. "Which reminds me…I have a story from when your grandfather first laid eyes on you."

"Oh really? Did he cry or something?" Buffy asked, seeing the smile in her dad's eyes.

"Both, actually. First he exclaimed loudly, 'That's a girl!'" When Buffy looked at him blankly, he explained, "See, we had been expecting a boy because that's what the doctors told us to expect. Your room was painted for a boy; you had boy clothes; you even had a baseball glove waiting for you at home. Dada Jack had a football in his hands to give to you in the hospital."

Buffy chewed on her lower lip before asking, "So you were pretty disappointed, huh?"

"For about as long as it took for you to open your eyes and look up at me, darling," Jackson answered. "That's when I started crying. In that second, I forgot ever wanting a grandson and was so thrilled that I had you in my arms."

She stood up and threw herself into his arms again, crying out, "Oh, Dada Jack!"

When they regained control of themselves again, they cleared the table and took their dessert to the living room to enjoy in front of the fire. There, Jackson lightened the mood again by telling how Jethro decided to make his granny's Mississippi Mud Pie one year… Of course, being six at the time, he thought he needed to use real river mud mixed into the filling. The only one who ate their whole piece was his granny. She claimed that a little mud never hurt no-one, and it'd be wrong to make the boy feel bad on his first attempt.

Buffy laughed, saying that great-granny should be happy she never had to deal with the Dawn creations. The foods her sister came up with would make that mud pie look delicious. Like the week where Dawn insisted on having salsa on everything she ate – even her mint chocolate ice cream.

That opened the door to Buffy sharing the lighter moments of her life in LA and Sunnydale. They continued talking through dinner – which consisted of sandwich leftovers – and into the late hours of the night. Instead of trying to find a place in town, Jackson insisted they stay with him for the remainder of their visit.

Gibbs and Buffy were looking forward to more time with Jackson, but unfortunately were called back to DC on a case two days later. Little did they know Jackson would be the next one to take a trip to _them_.

A/N: Thanks to the following people who gave me ideas/inspiration for stories – Fierynightangel, Goddess-Vampire, naraic, dreameralways, RebeccaAshling, clarityfades. Sorry if I missed anyone. Sadly, the fishing story was true and happened to yours truly. Never caught the damn thing either.

A/N2: Next… The holiday curse holds true…kind of.


	32. Chapter 31: An Old Holiday Curse

**Chapter 31: An Old Holiday Curse**

A/N: This one is longer to celebrate the fic's one year anniversary. What _do_ you get a story as a prezzie?

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way. **We gots us some violence in this chapter.**

Challenge: #4472 by CindyB.

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted In Honor of the 1 year anniversary of the story! Can you believe it's been that long? It was only supposed to be like 5 chapters long.**

**NCIS Bullpen**

"What do you have for me?" Gibbs demanded as he and Buffy walked into the office together.

The fact they came together didn't escape the notice of the other team members – nor was the fact they were both 'out of town' when the case came in. Knowing better than to ask questions though, McGee ignored the elephant in the room and started the briefing, "Commander Reynolds and her son are still missing, Boss."

Tony swallowed his own curiosity, then added, "But we've managed to track down where the last cell call came from."

"Plus, with the evidence we got from the scene where they were taken, we can narrow our search to this area." Ziva circled the section of the map on the screen with a laser pointer. They had found traces of a mixture of different coffee dusts, and the district they were looking at was where several companies stored their coffee beans while waiting to process them.

Studying the map for a moment, Buffy felt she was back in Sunnydale and dealing with the latest big bad. It _had_ to be warehouses. "That looks like a warehouse district with what…about four dozen places? Whew, that's a needle in a haystack. What's the plan, Gibbs?"

"According to the demands we received, our victims only had 12 hours of air when the call came in." Gibbs glanced at his watched. "That was nine hours ago. We'd need a miracle to be able to find them that fast."

Buffy caught her dad's eye and gestured to the empty space near the elevators. "Uhh, Gibbs? Can I talk to you privately for a second?" They moved out of earshot of the others before she reminded him, "We _do_ have the option of calling in special help. Somebody who's _really_ good at tracking people?" she said pointedly.

"I don't like putting civilians in dangerous situations like this one," he replied, but his refusal felt a little hollow – like he wanted her to talk him into it.

She smiled indulgently at him; she'd feel the same way taking one of the NCIS crew out on patrol with her and Oz. "I know, but think of this as a perk of having a daughter on the UC. And you know nobody can track as good as Oz – especially with the time we have."

He nodded in resignation; her point was a valid one. "Fine. Have him meet us at the intersection closest to the highway. He's _only_ going to find the warehouse they're in, _and_ he's wearing a bulletproof vest. I'll bring a waiver for him to sign."

"Good. I'll give him a call and tell him to hurry." Buffy had her phone out and was dialing Oz before she finished her sentence.

**Intersection near the warehouse district**

Oz was waiting for them when they pulled up. Gibbs showed everyone the map of the search area to indicate what he wanted from the others. "Okay, folks! Let's split up so we can cover more ground. Summers, you keep an eye on our civilian; David and DiNozzo, you take this section," "McGee, you're with me. Stay quiet and keep the comms open so we can catch up to whoever finds them first."

Buffy leaned over to Gibbs and whispered softly, "Gotta say, little surprised you didn't take Oz, Gibbs."

He shrugged, "Figured you two are used to working together. Please stay safe, 'k, kiddo?"

"You got it, PB. That goes for you too, mister," she answered with a slight lump in her throat. It still surprised her how much she had come to love her dad after only knowing him for a few months. She thought she had closed off that part of her when Hank had given up his place in her life, but Gibbs' persistence in being in her life plowed through those barriers like they were made of rice paper.

Resisting the urge to hug her, Gibbs stepped back and called out in a louder voice, "Everyone, move out!"

Oz waited until the others were out of sight before removing one of the bracelets that inhibited his wolf – specifically, the one controlling his enhanced sense of smell. The difference overwhelmed him for a minute, then Buffy grabbed the bag that held the personal items of Commander Reynolds and her son.

He took them one at a time to imprint the smell in his mind. Afterward, he tilted his nose up in the air to attempt to catch their scent. Assuming Buffy and Oz were their best hope of finding the hostages in time, Gibbs stationed them in the section that held the easiest route in and out of the district to the highway.

Buffy stood back and watched in fascination as Oz searched for a hint of their scent. When Angel or Spike mentioned their preternatural smelling abilities, it kinda grossed her out. However, as she witnessed Oz use his ability in this manner, it gave her an entirely new perspective on the matter. Of course, it may have had something to do with the fact that when the vampires brought it up, they were using it in connection to blood or sex – not really great choices of conversation, in her opinion.

Oh, Oz must have caught a whiff of something 'cause he took off running down the street – not even bothering to make sure she was with him. A couple blocks down, he slowed almost to a stop, but kept moving forward.

Using the mental telepathy set up for patrols, Oz told Buffy, _'See that building over on the corner? The one with the volcano sign? I can make out their scents the strongest there. Only problem is, I can't tell you how many other people are in there right now because of coffee smells around us.'_

She knew what he was talking about; her sense of smell wasn't nearly as acute as his, but she was still getting a nice caffeine buzz. _'Good work. Stay here while I scope it out. When I give you the signal, contact Gibbs and tell him we found them. I'm guessing he isn't too far away from us.'_

Instead of approaching the building on the ground, Buffy made her way to the roof of a nearby building, checking for sentries as she moved. From where she was, she could make out three: one watching from a window in the front, another in the shadows of the alleyway, and the last one on the roof. There were probably two more on the other sides that she couldn't see from this position.

Buffy called out to Oz mentally, _'I can confirm three baddies as lookouts; guessing there's a couple more I can't see. Not sure about who's inside. Tell my dad to use the 'lost' scenario when he calls me – just in case they're listening. He'll want you to head back to where we met. Please don't fight him on it, alright?'_ she pleaded before adding, _'And be ready to catch anyone that gets past us, or to call in for help if we need it.'_

'_I'm only going along with this because this is NCIS and not Slayer-related. Don't make me have to go back to the house without you, though,'_ Oz replied; having to face his cousin and Anya if something happened to her wasn't on his list of things to do…ever.

A few minutes later, Buffy heard her phone chirp. Well, actually she felt it vibrate, but the point was basically the same diff.

"Hey cupcake, where are you? I was expecting you a while ago?" Gibbs questioned like any worried father – which ironically, he was.

Glad they had worked out different scenarios for situations like this, Buffy answered in her best ditzy blonde voice, "Sorry, Daddy. You know me and directions. I took a wrong turn somewhere and now I'm lost."

"When should I expect you?" he asked, waiting for the code that would tell him what they were dealing with.

Buffy began her 'briefing' for him, "I see a few places that I could maybe ask for directions; it should only take me like 5 to 10 minutes to check them. By the way, have you gotten rid of the hideous weathervane on the roof yet?"

Gibbs knew she was asking for permission to take out one or more of the lookouts to make it easier to move in. Having watched her patrol, he had no doubts about her ability to do so without drawing attention to herself. "No, but if you want to, I'll let you take it down tomorrow," he said, giving her the go-ahead.

"Yay! Oh, and just so you know, I'm gonna park on the side of the house so I don't have to worry about anyone stealing my car," Buffy answered, letting him know she would take out the one on the roof and the one in the alley.

Staying with the guise of their false conversation, Gibbs let his worry show with his next statement, "Well, if you had gotten a sensible car – like I told you to – instead of that convertible, you wouldn't have to worry so much where you park it. Be careful, baby girl. You know how dangerous it is to drive here at night."

She couldn't help but tease him, "You have to relax; you can't spare any more grey hairs. Pretty soon they're gonna start falling out."

After waiting for the right moment to make the literal leap, Buffy jumped from the building she was on to the Hawaiian Coffee warehouse without making a sound. She crept up behind the lookout and knocked him unconscious before he knew she was there. Then she used her own experiences of being tied up and how she had gotten free to ensure he couldn't get loose until somebody came for him – preferably one of them and not one of his buddies.

She handcuffed his hands together behind his back, then his feet. To make it unlikely that he'd get free, she then used an ace bandage with duct tape on top of it to totally wrap his hands so he couldn't wiggle his fingers to grab anything. For her final touches, she bound his hands and feet together with a pair of nylons, and the last thing she did was attach one of those BDSM gags to his mouth – one with holes so he could breathe – in order to keep him quiet without endangering his life.

Oops, she almost forgot about the cold weather. Reaching into her little pouch of goodies, Buffy pulled out the foil emergency blanket and a couple of those Hot-Hands packages to keep him warm and cozy until they could grab him later.

Once she felt she had thought of everything, she quietly lowered herself over the side of the roof with a make-shift pulley system the brainiacs on the Council came up with for times when they needed to make an 'aerial' assault on a target. Slayage gadgets came in so handy sometimes. Maybe she'd have to look into getting some for the team when this was over.

Within five minutes of her foot touching the ground, Buffy had finished with the second lookout and was heading back to the warehouse where she'd meet up with the team again to find out what came next.

"Two down, who knows how many more to go," Buffy announced as she joined the others.

Gibbs surreptitiously checked her for any injuries. "Any problems?" he inquired when he didn't see any.

"Nope. It was as easy as getting Anya to talk about sex or money. What's next, oh great leader?" she asked in a flippant tone, forgetting she was supposed to be afraid of Gibbs.

He glared at her for a moment before smirking. "How do you feel about a little role-playing?"

Buffy's face screwed up in disgust for a second. "I don't really think it's appropriate-- Oh, you mean for the case! Sure! What did you have in mind?"

Despite his own shudder of revulsion at where her mind initially went, Gibbs grinned as he explained, "Just more of what we started with our phone conversation. You go up to the front door, looking lost and give them some kind of sob story about how your car broke down. As soon as you take care of the lookout, give us a call and let us know we can come in."

Tony looked between the two, trying to figure out what the hell was going on with them. He did feel concerned at the plan though and interjected, "Are you sure this is a good idea, Boss? Buffy's never done this sort of thing before."

"Not with NCIS, but I've done this kind of thing all the time for the Council; it's kind of my specialty. I'm great at being the helpless, dumb blonde girl," Buffy said, flipping her hair over her shoulder in a very Harmony way.

After she walked away from Gibbs and the team, Buffy slipped on the necklace that held her 'valley girl' glamour: coiffed hair, bright make-up, and a slinky dress with calf-high boots. She had a thin jacket on as well. Man, if the team saw her now, she'd have a lot of explaining to do. Good thing the clothes she actually had on were close enough for any comments the baddies might make…she hoped.

She backtracked a couple warehouses, then walked right to the front door of their target building, making sure she looked harmless and lost. Predictably, the guard had the door open before she could finish knocking.

"What do you want?" he demanded suspiciously.

_Alright, hyper-babble time_; it was her best chance to throw him off. "Well, see, I was trying to get to my dad's house, but the car broke down a couple blocks away after I got lost, and as you can see, I'm totally not dressed for this godforsaken weather 'cause I'm from California, and when Daddy told me it was cold, I assumed he meant cold by _my_ standards, not this arctic stuff; I mean, really, _who_ could stand to live in temperatures like this if they weren't a polar bear or penguin or whatever?"

Only hesitating for half a second for a breath, she went on without giving him a chance to say anything – if he could even manage to get a word out in his stunned condition, "So I knew I couldn't stay in the car since that's the best way to end up as Popsicle Harmony, and that is _sooo_ not of the good, and Daddy is coming to get me – and probably chew me out, but it's totally _his_ fault for not explaining things good enough for me – so I came looking for a place to keep warm, and saw somebody smoking a cigarette in the alley here, and hoped you wouldn't mind letting me stay here until he gets here. Pretty please?" she pleaded with her full pout.

The poor guy was still mystified by the ditz act and accidentally let his gun fall into her view, causing her to gasp dramatically. "_O-M-G_! You have a gun! Oh no, are you on a stakeout or something? I didn't screw it up, did I? You know, I _love_ those C-I-S shows with all their science-y talk and the way they catch the bad guys; it would have been really helpful if that were true of the police in the town where I grew up, but I think the police actually _were_ baddies themselves – at least for a few years; after the Mayor died at my high school graduation, I don't know if they still were. So, who's your baddy you're trying to catch…drug dealers, dirty politician, slumlord? Ooo, can I help somehow? My BFFs would totally _die_ of envy if I got to help you catch a bad guy! Before I can help though, I have to touch up my make-up, 'cause if I'm on camera, I need to look my best; where's your bathroom?"

Shaking his head to clear it, the guard started walking towards the bathroom to let Buffy take care of her girly stuff. When they got there, Buffy pretended to stumble so she could bump into the guy. As she fell into him, she swung her fist hard and knocked him out. Quickly checking his pockets for anything he could use to get free, she bound and gagged him like she did with the other two lookouts. Then she pushed him into a closet and closed the door.

"Hey guys, it's safe to come in now," she whispered over the comm, slipping her necklace off before they could see her different look.

By this time, Tony and McGee were trying desperately not to laugh their heads off. Gibbs had a satisfied smirk on his face, but Ziva just looked bewildered by Buffy's act. Did even half of what the blonde said make sense? Only the reminder of why they were there kept everyone focused on the task at hand.

Fortunately, the security inside the warehouse was much less stringent than the outside. Guess they were counting on the lookouts. Bad news for them; good news for the NCIS crew. Buffy moved to the back, letting her dad take point now that they were in the final takedown situation. But, _boy_ did it suck to be the probie agent! It helped considerably that the others were the best of the best.

Gibbs peeked through the door, then motioned to the team that he saw two suspects in the room with the hostages. Thankfully, it appeared the kidnappers had lied about the air running out; they probably knew/hoped the authorities would act as if it were true. It would be a lot better for them if they could get at least one of them to leave, but how to manage that? He gestured for the bad guy's walkie-talkie and changed his voice so it sounded reasonably like the front lookout's. "Hey, could somebody come watch the front for me? I need to go to the bathroom."

He watched as the leader – presumably – rolled his eyes in annoyance, then gestured with his head to the other guy in the room, who picked up his gun and started walking for the door. Everyone backed up into the shadows so he couldn't see them. As soon as the door closed, Gibbs nodded to Ziva, and the Mossad agent moved up silently behind the man and knocked him out. They bound and gagged him too, then shoved him out of the way.

Checking the room again, Gibbs saw there were rafters that Buffy could use to get closer to the hostages so she could protect them while they went in to secure the leader. He whispered the instructions to his daughter, praying she wouldn't take any unnecessary risks. She could see the worry in his eyes and just gave him a bright smile in return, then took off for the boxes she was going to use to climb up.

Once she was in position, Buffy nodded to her dad and prepared to jump down so she was between the bad guy and the hostages. As the door opened, she dropped, hearing Gibbs shout out, "Freeze! NCIS!"

The look on the leader's face was priceless when he looked at his bargaining chips, only to see them protected by a small blonde pointing a gun at him. Damn! His meticulously planned out kidnapping was falling apart, and he had a decision to make: go out fighting or surrender. Like most criminals, he was a coward at heart and tossed his gun to the ground and held up his hands without saying a word.

"David, secure the suspect. McGee, DiNozzo, take care of the other lookouts. Summers, call for an ambulance and some back up," Gibbs barked out as he made his way to the hostages. "Ma'am, my name is Special Agent Gibbs; you and your son are safe now. Are you alright? Do you have any injuries?"

"We're fine, Agent Gibbs." Commander Reynolds glanced at her son, then amended her statement, "Though, I think my son needs to go to the bathroom now. That, and I don't think I'll be able to drink coffee for a year or so."

Seeing that Ziva and his daughter had the area secure, Gibbs offered the Commander a hand to stand up. "I can take you."

A few minutes later, the three of them were walking back to the room Buffy and Ziva were holding the kidnappers – having dragged the two inside into the same room – when Gibbs stared in horror as a figure stepped out of the shadow and pointed a weapon at Ziva. He called out, feeling helpless as he did, "Ziva! Gun!"

His only answer was a gunshot.

Without waiting to see if the gunman hit his target, Gibbs put two bullets in him; one in the head and the other in the chest. He ran over to make sure the man was dead and secured the suspect's weapon. Only then did he turn to see if Ziva was still breathing. His eyes didn't want to admit what he saw.

Instead of Ziva lying on the floor, it was Buffy in a pool of her own blood.

A/N: I know there were some mistakes during Buffy's hyper-babble, but they were intentional to make her look even more Harmony-esque.

A/N2: Just wanted to give everyone a head's up that the next several months are going to be very hectic for me, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update any of my stories. I'm not abandoning anything, and if I get the chance to post, I will.

A/N3: Next…Hospitals and Buffy are unmixy things most of the time.


	33. Chapter 32: A New Humiliation

**Chapter 32: A New Humiliation**

A/N: Back after a very long hiatus.

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way. **A bit mean to Jenny here.**

Challenge: #4472 'Bunny is my what?' by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal, Chrislover and AshDawnSoulmates.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted In Honor of being too long since the last update! Sorry 'bout that, hopefully things will get better soon.**

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Hospital

**8 pm, almost 4 hours after the rescue…**

When Buffy woke up, she groaned at the sight of the room she was in. _**'Stupid bad guy with his stupid gun! Stupid Powers for not letting me be more like Superman and able to move faster than a speeding bullet – or be bulletproof for that matter.'**_

Her groan alerted the concerned individuals in the room that she was awake.

On one side, she had Oz looking a mixture of relieved, concerned and annoyed. Buffy had to bite back a smirk at the notion she got the stoic werewolf to make an expression, doubting that he would find it as funny as she did.

"Thought I told you to be careful," Oz scolded.

Buffy shrugged, wincing as it pulled at her injury. "Sorry. Couldn't let Ziva get shot."

A squeeze of her other hand let the injured Slayer know she had another upset man to deal with. Seeing the partially-hidden terror in his eyes, Buffy weakly raised her hand to stroke his cheek. "I'm okay, Daddy. You can't get rid of me that easily," she promised.

Hearing her call him 'Daddy' broke Gibbs' emotional control. He leaned over to kiss her forehead. "Oh, Baby Girl, don't do that again! I can't handle losing you again!" he choked out raggedly.

The shocked gasps reminded him they weren't alone in the room.

Peeking around her men, Buffy grinned sheepishly at their audience and waved with her good hand. "Guess the cat's out of the bag, huh?"

"Probably better than what they were thinking about us." Buffy's face was screwed up in confusion, so Gibbs reminded her, "Well, we were both out of town this morning and came in together."

Her expression went from bewildered to revolted in less than a second. "Eww! That's disgusting!" Buffy rolled her eyes at his mock-hurt look and said, "Oh please, you know what I mean by that. You can't tell me the idea doesn't squick _you_ out, too."

"Touche," Gibbs replied with a chuckle. His heartrate was slowly returning to normal now that his daughter opened her beautiful eyes again.

"You're Gibbs' daughter?" two voices cried at the same time Tony blurted out, "I hit on Gibbs' daughter?"

Gibbs turned and growled at his senior field agent, "I forgot about that."

"Eep!" Tony hid behind Ziva, hoping the Mossad agent would slow Gibbs long enough for him to escape. He pointedly ignored the snickers of Ziva and McGee at his less-than-manly sound.

Buffy grabbed her father's arms and tugged on it again. "Stop scaring him, Gibbs; he learned his lesson a long time ago." She looked at the younger agents and began to explain, "Yeah, we found out after I came here that I'm his kid. It's up to him if he wants you to know the rest of it though."

"Maybe later," Gibbs offered. To be fair, it was more than they expected from him. "Buffy, you should know that you have more company on the way – most of whom want my hide for letting you get hurt."

She rolled her eyes again. "Then they must not know me very well if they think you 'let' me do anything. I simply did my duty – like I always have – and was just unlucky enough not to be able to avoid getting shot this time. It's not as if it was due to any negligence or stupidity on your part."

Oz seemed to relax with those words. "She's right. I'll explain it to the Council people," he assured the pair.

"Thanks, Oz," Buffy replied with a smile at her friend and housemate.

Now that he was feeling a little better, Gibbs grinned at the young man. "I appreciate that; especially seeing as how you looked ready to rip my head off when you saw Buffy earlier."

Refusing to apologize for his earlier response, Oz simply shrugged, "Instinctive reaction. Then I realized Buffy wouldn't be happy if I killed her dad. At least not unless I had a good reason."

"Yeah. I'll say right now that there'll be no killing – or hurting," Buffy clarified, since there was more than one way her friends and family might handle this, "…of my dad. That includes making him feel guilty for something that wasn't his fault. Make sure _everyone_ understands that. I'll spar with anyone who does – and not in a nice, friendly way, either," she added with narrowed eyes.

Oz smirked at the implied threat, knowing it would stop several people from acting on their first reactions. "Understood."

"Good. Now that that's settled, who's coming to visit?" Buffy asked in a cheerier voice. She still sounded a little tired, but already was sounding pretty good for somebody who was just shot.

McGee answered for the NCIS people, "Ducky and Abby are coming as soon as they can get away from work."

"Your grandfather," Gibbs added, stunning the younger agents again. Gibbs had a father? "And I don't think threatening him will stop him from tearing me apart."

Buffy remained unconcerned. "Then I'll just have to use my other weapon on him: my pout," she said, demonstrating her weapon for those in the room.

Fighting the urge to laugh at the memories of how often that pout got Buffy what she wanted, Oz interjected with his own news, "Anya and the boys are waiting to get the okay from me. Jordy is pretty frantic about seeing with his own eyes that you're okay."

"Do I look good enough for him to see me?" Buffy asked, understanding how important it was for Jordy to see her well and relatively unhurt.

"I'll have Anya come in first to fix you up," Oz suggested.

Tony's response was fairly predictable, "Your little cousin have a crush on Buffy?"

"No. I'm more of a big sister/mother figure to him," Buffy explained.

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20 minutes later…

Their plan was good in theory. However, they failed to consider Jordy's reaction when they came up with their plan.

Being several months' pregnant, Anya wasn't in any condition to hold onto Jordy – especially since she was also trying to push JR's stroller. That meant that as soon as the worried trio stepped onto Buffy's floor, Jordy was free to run to his Alpha's side. And that's what he did.

The hospital staff was startled to see a yhoung child sprinting through the hallways, but he ignored their requests to stop, and sidestepped any attempts to apprehend him. Before anyone inside the room knew what was going on, Jordy had burst through the door and was launching himself at Buffy. Only Oz's quick reflexes enabled him to catch his cousin before he landed on the injured Slayer or her bed.

Oz scolded for the second time that day, "You were supposed to wait outside until she was ready for you."

Not sounding the least bit sorry, Jordy explained with tears in his eyes, "But I had to make sure she was okay! I can't lose her…not after losing Mom and Dad." He knew that Buffy and Oz wouldn't think he was a wimp for being so upset, and anyone who did, they would beat up for him.

Buffy patted the bed next to her. "Don't worry, Oz. Just put him on my left side, 'k? That way it won't bother my injury. When Jordy was snuggled into her side, she reassured him, "Hey there, mini-Growly, I'm okay. 'Tis but a flesh wound."

Smiling at her quote – 'cause it meant she wasn't too hurt – Jordy replied the way he was supposed to, "You gonna bite my legs off?"

"Wow. You're both giving Monty Python quotes? You are officially my heroes," Tony declared, holding his hand up for a high five from Jordy, which the young boy goofily gave him.

"You can thank Giles for that," Buffy said with a bemused expression. "I would have expected it from Xander, but not Mr. Stuffy Tweed. I just didn't think Giles had that kind of sense of humor."

"He _is_ British," Oz reminded her, taking a seat next to the bed on the side where Jordy was sitting.

Buffy shot him a look which almost seemed reproachful. "That's a generalization, and you know it."

Oz just ignored the rebuke and said, "Yeah, but you have to admit Giles does stereotypes of Englishmen pretty good."

Anya, who just arrived in the room with JR, said in her usual blunt fashion, "Except for the bad teeth, thank goodness. Kissing him would have been a nightmare if he had teeth like some of the people I've seen over there recently."

"You kissed Giles?" Oz asked louder than he normally talked, looking very non-Oz-like with his gobsmacked expression.

Buffy choked back her laughter, looking at the others as she replied, "Yeah, long story for another time. Let's just say it was kind of like the band candy thing. Huh, never realized how often Giles gets hit by those things," she added after considering the oddness of those two situations.

"At least Giles never thought he was engaged to Spike," Anya remarked with a smirk in Buffy's direction.

Oz added with his own look of amusement, "Or regressed to the behavior of a cavewoman."

"Who's this Spike?" Gibbs growled at the thought of his baby girl being engaged to anyone…especially one named Spike.

At the same time, Tony – forgetting about his safety in doing so – asked, "Cavewoman? Was there a leopard skin bikini involved?"

"Ziva? Take care of DiNozzo for me. He might not survive if I come over there," Gibbs requested of the Mossad officer from his spot next to his daughter. The glare he shot DiNozzo had the younger agent backing up in fear.

Buffy decided just to ignore Tony's comment, despite the pang she felt thinking that it sounded like something Xander would have said. Instead she answered her dad's question, "Doesn't matter anymore; Spike's not a part of my life now."

Just then, Abby came rushing in all excited. "Buffy! You're okay!" She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her pseudo-father looking very cozy with her friend. "Why is Gibbs leaning-slash-sitting on your bed?"

Biting her lip nervously, Buffy thought about how to explain this without hurting Abby's feelings. "Umm, okay… first I want you to know that the only one who knew before today was Ducky. The others found out just a couple hours ago when I woke up and accidentally spilled the beans. So this isn't something everyone's been keeping from you, 'k?"

"O-kay," Abby drawled warily. Something told her that she wouldn't be happy with what she was about to hear.

"Buffy's my daughter. I thought she died 20 years ago, but she and my first wife went into Witness Protection," Gibbs practically blurted out, deciding that upfront about the basics was better than beating around the bush; hopefully less painful, too.

Abby staggered back at the news. She shook her head and murmured, "Wow."

"That's it? I would have expected a bigger reaction from you," McGee commented in surprise.

She glared at him in return. "I'm trying to process this, McGee. Funny thing is, I can totally see it. You don't really look similar, but your personalities…" Abby started laughing, which worried the others until she continued, "I _thought_ you were a female Gibbs when I met you. Guess I was more perceptive than I knew. So how long have you two known?"

Thanking the stars that his non-biological daughter was taking this well, Gibbs chose to be honest about as much as he could. "Fornell told me right after she started, but we wanted to get to know each other before going public."

"And I didn't want anyone thinking I got this job only 'cause my daddy worked at NCIS," Buffy added.

Latching onto part of Buffy's explanation, Abby bounced excitedly as she repeated, "Gibbs is your daddy! This is so _cool_!"

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Later that night…

Director Shepard looked in through the window of Summers' hospital room. Because of the screen around the bed, all she could see was the occupants of the bed: Gibbs and that…woman.

She ground her teeth at the sight. He was actually laying on the damn bed with her! Something in her mind snapped, and she burst into the room in a rage.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Agent Gibbs? While in public, you should at least _try_ to appear professional! It's bad enough that you're sleeping with someone young enough to be your daughter, but do you really have to advertise it? What if your team saw you together like this?" Shepard ranted.

Buffy sing-songed, "Told you she's jealous!"

When she heard the snickers and embarrassed throats clearing around her, Director Shepard saw Gibbs' team, Ducky, Abby and some people she didn't know sitting where she couldn't have seen them from the door. Oddly though, it only increased her anger. "How long have they known? Have you told everyone but me?"

"Since our personal relationship hasn't affected our working relationship, it isn't any of your business, _Director_," Gibbs replied coldly. When Buffy slapped him with her good hand, he added in a softer tone, "However, before today, only Ducky and her family knew that she _is_ my daughter. I only learned she was still alive when she joined NCIS."

Sensing that her dad needed to resolve this, Buffy suggested, "Gibbs? Maybe you and the Director should go talk privately about this. Jordy will keep your spot warm for you."

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A/N: Tiny poll question: How badly should Jenny react, even knowing the truth? Should it be bad enough to get rid of her somehow? Please vote on my profile page.

A/N2: Next… Taking care of an old debt.


	34. Chapter 33: New Consequences

**Chapter 33: New Consequences**

A/N: Yeah, finally convinced Musie to work on this again. Thank goodness for _lonnnng_ road trips, eh? This was going to have other conversations, but the Jenny part seems to stand better alone.

_**EDIT: Switched this chapter with the Franks/Fornell chapter.**_

**FYI: Going back to the first night in Buffy's hospital room.**

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: #4472 'Bunny is my what?' by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: sorry for any mistakes; in the attempt to get it up for New Year's, this is posted unbeta'd.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted In Honor of New Year's!**

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Previously…

Sensing that her dad needed to resolve this, Buffy suggested, "Gibbs? Maybe you and the Director should go talk privately about this. Jordy will keep your spot warm for you."

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Buffy's hospital room

Ignoring the blonde's suggestion, Jenny announced coldly, "I'd like to speak to Agent Gibbs and Miss Summers privately, please."

Once the door closed, and the three of them were alone, she said, "Given the circumstances, I feel it's necessary to speak to the department heads again; make sure that their evaluations of Miss Summers weren't influenced by you, Agent Gibbs. Once I've made my determination, we will decide how to proceed with the remainder of her time at NCIS."

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A couple mornings later…

By the time her driver picked her up for the day, Director Jenny Shepard had an eerie feeling that this was one of those days she should have just stayed in bed. Unfortunately, work didn't stop just because you had a bad morning – even a really, _really_ bad one. Everything that could go wrong, did. From oversleeping, to having no hot water for her shower, to forgetting that she ran out of toothpaste and neglecting to tell the maid about it.

Not that the maid was there that morning anyway. Apparently the woman came down with a bad case of the stomach flu, and was in the hospital on an IV solution to keep her hydrated. Which meant that Jenny had to get her own coffee. But since she didn't know where Maria kept it, all she could find was decaf tea…not very helpful for waking her up.

To top it all off, the driver called to say that he was in a minor car accident on his way there. Nobody was injured, but because it was an official NCIS car, he had to wait for NCIS investigators to arrive…just to make sure it wasn't deliberate somehow. Another driver was called in, but it would take an extra half hour to pick her up.

That meant she'd be late for her meeting with the SecNav, and she still didn't know what it was he wanted to meet her for. He just called her the night before…at _home_, and said he'd see her first thing in the morning.

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SecNav's office

Right away she knew it was bad when the Secretary greeted her formally and didn't use her title, "Ms. Shepard, please have a seat."

Fighting her nerves, Jenny was proud that her voice remained level as she replied, "Good morning, sir. What did you need to talk to me about?"

He leaned back in his chair, choosing to appear casual; he'd let the NCIS director hang or save herself based on her response. "I heard there was a problem in your office. Something to do with Agent Gibbs and the liaison for the Ursagga Council, Buffy Summers?"

"Not a problem, necessarily," Jenny hedged warily. How had SecNav found out already? "It has just come to my attention that she is Agent Gibbs' daughter. Because of that, I thought it was a good idea to make sure that he didn't influence the department heads when they evaluated her."

SecNav sat up just a bit, then inquired calmly, "Why would it matter if he did?"

"Excuse me, sir?" His question confused Jenny.

"The evaluations are for her people, not ours, and they already know that he's her father," he pointed out. His conversation with Dr. Giles the previous evening clarified that concern.

That caused Jenny to falter. "I- uh…don't want false reports leaving our office," she finally stammered, hating how lame that sounded, even as it left her mouth.

Clearly, SecNav agreed with that evaluation. "Uh-huh, and this has nothing to do with the fact that they didn't tell you about their relationship before the other day?"

Still, she felt it was necessary to defend her decision. "Even though she isn't an employee of NCIS, it is my responsibility to make sure that nothing compromises the integrity of our agency," Jenny remarked with a hint of defiance.

Narrowing his eyes, SecNav replied in a shark-like manner, sending a chill down Jenny's spine, "I'm glad you brought that up. When you mention the integrity of NCIS, would you include allowing somebody access to information that allows a suspect to evade capture?" he inquired semi-rhetorically.

Jenny's answer was what it should be, "Of course, sir."

SecNav allowed her to step fully into the trap before springing it. "And it was _your_ decision to allow Officer David to 'assist' in the capture of her half-brother? Did you tell Agent Gibbs about their relationship?" he asked, already guessing the answer. If Gibbs had known, Officer David would have been under so much scrutiny, she wouldn't have been able to go to the bathroom without him knowing if it was #1 or #2.

Feeling the jaws start to close around her, Jenny replied quietly, "No. I didn't want it to taint his opinion of her."

"Had he not gone after Agent Gibbs, the man could have escaped…and it would have been due to Offficer David's assistance," SecNav continued relentlessly.

"We don't know that for certain," Jenny argued, not sure if she was trying to convince him or herself.

"Don't play dumb with me!" he snapped angrily. "You know as well as I do that Ari Haswari would have had a much more difficult time trying to evade capture if it hadn't been due to his sister's interference."

"Are you saying that she has to go back to Israel?" she asked.

Some of the anger leaving him, SecNav sat back again. "No. Fortunately, her evaluations since then have been exemplary – which is surprising coming from somebody like Gibbs," he said, inadvertently slipping into a more familiar form of address for the agent.

Jenny shook her head in confusion. "Then why-?"

Just like that, the cold look in his eyes was back. "It shows a rather disturbing trend of yours to use your position as director for your own purposes. In Officer David's case, it was to get a personal friend and colleague on an NCIS team. This situation with Gibbs and his daughter is another. And finally, there's the growing problem of René Benoit aka La Grenouille. You are using NCIS resources to track somebody that isn't tied to any open NCIS case. If he needs to be watched, it should be CIA or NSA who does it."

SecNav took a breath before continuing, "Now, you have two choices: we can either transfer you to head one of the field offices, or if catching La Grenouille is that important to you, we can task you out to one of the agencies tracking him."

She was being demoted or fired? That little bitch! Jenny knew it was Buffy's fault. "I can't believe this! I know Jethro- Agent Gibbs wouldn't complain, so it has to be his daughter that came to you. What? Can't she talk to me herself?" she snarled, forgetting to be professional for a moment.

He raised an eyebrow at her uncharacteristic behavior. "Actually, it wasn't either of them. Thankfully, Miss Summers doesn't sound all that upset by your decision. If she were, it could cause some strained relationships; not only with her group, but also with other countries that consider them allies – not to mention her friend, President Ryan," SecNav reminded her. "No, it was several of the department heads who complained about their judgment being questioned. They think you're acting like a wronged lover, and it's affecting their respect for you as a leader. If it were just one or two of them, we could find a way to work around it, but it's more than that. Besides, didn't you _yourself_ give her a glowing report? Were _you_ influenced by Agent Gibbs?"

"Of course not!" Jenny denied vehemently. "I didn't even know they were related at the time."

"Neither did the other department heads," he explained reasonably, "…except for Dr. Mallard, of course. I'll give you until the end of the week to make your decision. If you haven't by that point, I'll make it for you. Dismissed," he said, looking down at his papers to make it clear the meeting was over.

"Yes, sir," Jenny murmured dully, rising to leave.

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Random DC park

Still stinging from the humiliation of the two 'choices' she was given, Jenny decided to take the morning off from work to think. Cynthia didn't seem especially surprised by the order to keep things in line until later. It made Jenny wonder how many people knew about her situation already. Everything she did…every choice and sacrifice over the years, only to be made moot because of Buffy Summers.

A chill went down Jenny's spine that had nothing to do with the winter weather when she heard a voice greet her, "Good day, Mademoiselle Shepard. I hear you've been looking for me."

Jenny looked up to see La Grenouille smirking at her. A quick glance around showed that her driver had been subdued by his men. "What are you doing here?"

La Grenouille sat down next to her, making sure to sit on her right side so she couldn't easily stab or shoot him – not that she was even carrying a knife. So much for Gibbs' ninth rule. "Your constant surveillance of me is making several of my associates anxious, so they've given me the option of losing their business or dealing with you…in a rather permanent way. Before I do, however, I'd like to know just what it is about me that has you so interested," he requested in his usual charming manner.

All it did was serve to fuel Jenny's righteous anger even more. "You killed my father, you bastard, and you know it!" she growled.

"So all this was because you were under the mistaken impression I had something to do with your father's suicide? Pity," he remarked with a sigh. "Oh well, maybe you'll find peace now that you're about to join him." He stood up and nodded to a couple thuggish-looking men, who grabbed Jenny before she could defend herself.

As they drove her to a secluded place in the forest, Jenny vaguely wondered who would solve her murder. They pulled her out of the car and forced her to kneel in the snow.

Just before she felt the bullet pierce her skull, she woke up at home, panting.

She quickly grabbed her gun for comfort, then checked the date. It was the early hours of the day after she told Gibbs and Buffy she was double-checking the evaluation reports.

Jenny felt oddly like Scrooge after the Spirits visited him in A Christmas Carol.

She had no idea whether her nightmare was in any way a portent of the future, but it did serve to remind her of some important facts. The two biggest ones being her own impression of Buffy, and the fact Buffy wasn't really an NCIS employee. Then there was the fact that Buffy wasn't hindering cases or disrupting the relationships around NCIS in a negative way – aside from her own relationship with Jethro, but Buffy could hardly be held accountable for the way she – Jenny – was acting.

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Summers/Osbourne/Harris home

**Same time…**

In her sleep, Anya smiled in satisfaction. While she didn't know the details about Jenny Shepard's worst nightmare, she still knew that the spell to force the woman to face how unreasonable she was being towards Buffy and her dad had worked.

The ex-vengeance demon for scorned women knew that if Shepard had woken up, she must have learned her lesson. After all, that's the only way the Council's top witch would help her with the spell in the first place. It couldn't harm Shepard physically, and could only be used to show her the truth about her attitude towards Buffy.

Not as remarkable as the wishes she granted once upon a time, but not bad for a white hat. Xander would be so proud of her for protecting 'the Buffster'. She smiled again, then burrowed into her pile of body pillows, dreaming of piles of money, and Xander being alive again to give her orgasms on the money. Not necessarily in that order.

* * *

A/N: How's that for dealing with Jenny? She was taught a lesson, but remains unharmed.

A/N2: Next…Other conversations.


	35. Chapter 34: A Old Debt Settled

**Chapter 34: A Old Debt Settled **

A/N: Okay, so for this, I went with the assumption that Hank Summers was a lawyer, made $150 grand a year after taxes, and paid only half of what he was supposed to according to his and Joyce's divorce papers.

_**EDIT: Switched this chapter with the Jenny chapter.**_

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.** A bit of character bashing, but I doubt anyone will mind when they find out who.**

Challenge: #4472 'Bunny is my what?' by CindyB. This chapter inspired by MistressAshley's _'His Little Girls'_. I've had this chapter written practically since she posted that gem.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal, Hawkehunt, Chrislover, AshDawnSoulmates and CindyB.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted In Honor of over 225,000 hits on TtH!**

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Buffy's Hospital Room

The morning after the team found out about Buffy being Gibbs' daughter, she got two visitors in her room. "Hey there, probie girl. When you gonna get off your butt and get back to work?" Franks asked with a smirk.

"Soon as these stupid doctors _believe I'm okay_!" Buffy raised her voice at the end of the sentence as she faced the open doorway.

Fornell closed the door to give them some privacy, then chided her, "Well, in all fairness to them, you did get shot in the shoulder; they're bound to be a little cautious about letting you go."

Waving his hand in dismal, Franks scoffed, "Ahh! They're just a bunch of pansies! She's fine!"

She tried not to laugh since that still hurt. However, she smiled at the retired agent. "I knew I liked you for some reason…and it obviously isn't your charm, because that is nonexistent."

"She's got you pegged, Franks." It made Fornell happy to see the young lady doing well. He didn't want to think of what losing her would do to his friend – especially after he just got her back.

"That she does. But I bet she'll give me a kiss in about 10 seconds." Franks waggled his eyes at her as he moved towards her.

Buffy looked at him suspiciously. He was up to something. "Oh really? And why would I go and do that?"

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an envelope, only to wave it in her face. "Because I got a late Christmas present here for you; it's from me and Fornell."

As she took it from him, she asked the FBI agent, "Is it safe to open?"

Who laughed at her question and the mock pain on Franks' face. "Go ahead. I promise it's safe," he promised.

"She trusts you more than me? I'm hurt."

She opened the envelope and pulled out a check. Her eyes widened when she saw the amount it was for. "Uhh, guys? What's this?"

Fornell took the chair next to her bed in an effort to make her more comfortable. Franks took the hint and sat in another chair. "Franks and I went to visit that bastard who you thought was your father to discuss the way he treated you."

"Uh-huh, and is he still alive?" Buffy was slightly worried for Hank's health. She felt she had to remind them, "You know that he never hurt me."

Narrowing his eyes, Franks replied angrily, "Not physically, but he was crap as a dad. You deserved better than that."

They were momentarily stunned by the thousand-watt smile she gave them. "And I have it now. But I still don't understand the money."

Assuming responsibility for the explanation, Fornell answered, "We looked into the stipulations of the divorce. In return for not fighting him in court and exposing him and his lover, Hank agreed to pay $3000 a month in child support for you until you graduated college. That was in addition to the normal stipulation of paying Joyce $2000 a month in alimony until she died or remarried. According to the records we found, he only managed half that."

"And that added up to $300,000?" she inquired incredulously, not able to do the math that fast in her head.

The smile Franks gave her was positively chilling. "Well, we convinced him that you deserved interest on the money, plus a little for pain and suffering."

"Uh, yeah." She could accept that explanation. Then she had a thought. "Wait! Everyone knew that Hank cheated on Mom. Doesn't that mean the contract is void?"

Now it was Fornell's turn for the scary grin. Did they practice these things in the mirror? "No, because Joyce never told anyone _which_ assistant he was sleeping with. They all assumed it was Miss Michaels. In actuality, he had an affair with _Mr_. Abrams. Considering the firm's biggest client was a homophobe and would have left them if he knew that his lawyer was having sex with his male assistant… The fact he's _still_ their biggest client gave us the leverage to force your father to honor his end of the agreement."

The conversation they had with the man was somewhat interesting – especially when they told him they knew about the affair and threatened to expose it.

_

* * *

_

*Flashback*

**Hank Summers' Home**

**Three days earlier…**

When Hank opened the door, Fornell stepped forward confidently. "Mr. Summers? Do you mind if we come in?"

Still blocking their entry, Hank inquired politely, "Who are you?"

Fornell pulled out his ID and flashed it, even though this was an unofficial visit. "I'm Agent Fornell of the FBI and this is my…associate, Mr. Franks. We're here to speak to you about your ex-wife and her daughter."

"I have nothing to say about that bitch or her freak of a child," Hank snarled, though he moved out of their way.

Putting his hand on Franks' arm to keep him from beating the man to death, Fornell warned Buffy's former father-figure, "You might want to watch what you say about them around my associate. He cares deeply for the young lady, and you bad-mouthing her- Well, let's just say it could prove to be unhealthy for you."

"What? Can't he speak for himself? I'm not afraid of you; you lay one hand on me and I'll sue for police brutality," Hank bluffed, not willing to show how scared the silent man made him.

Fornell shrugged carelessly at the threat. "You could, but he isn't a law enforcement agent. He just came with me while I ran this errand for Buffy."

Turning back to the agent, Hank demanded, "What errand?"

"Collecting the money you owe her, of course. I figure this should just about cover it," Fornell answered, handing a slip of paper over.

Hank opened it, and his jaw dropped at the number written there. "You're out of your mind if you think I'm paying her anything, much less _that_ amount!" he spat at them.

"Huh, guess I owe you 20, Franks." Fornell sighed as he took out his wallet to retrieve the bet.

"What?"

After giving the looming Franks the money, Fornell turned back to Hank. "He said you'd make us do this the hard way."

Taking a moment to calm himself, Hank managed to ask without squeaking, "Oh, so he's here to rough me up?"

"If you want," Fornell said with another shrug. "We were just going to call Mr. Bennet and tell him about your affair with your assistant, Stephen." Then he got a scary grin on his face as he appeared to just think of something. "You know what, I think Franks would prefer to beat the shit out of you. Franks, why don't you do that while I fax Bennet the proof of the affair. That way, we _both_ get the satisfaction of helping Buffy get revenge on this bastard."

Hank stepped back quickly, pleading, "Wait! I don't have that kind of money available. I'll have to resume the payments I set up for Joyce."

Fornell pretended to think about that for a minute before shaking his head, "Sorry, that doesn't work for us. You either get us a cashier's check for the full amount or we'll finish what we started."

Hank's eyes flashed in indignation. "That's extortion! You'll lose your job for this."

"You could _try_ to make it stick, but you realize the problem with that? You'd have to come clean about what we're holding over your head. And do you know what would happen to me if you filed a complaint?" Fornell saw Hank's glance at Franks and commented, "Oh, nothing would happen to Franks 'cause he's retired, but me? They'd give me a slap on the wrist – or maybe a commendation. I'm not sure which, though I suspect it would be the latter. Your daughter is part of a very influential organization now, and I think I remember her saying she's even had dinner with President Ryan and his family in the private dining room of the White House…on more than one occasion."

"So what does she need the money for if she's so powerful?" Hank pouted in confusion. How did that freak of a girl end up with an organization like that?

Fornell's eyes narrowed as he got right in Hank's face. "It's so she knows that you've been hurt; just like you hurt her when you abandoned her after the divorce."

Hank stupidly scoffed at the idea of remaining Buffy's father once the divorce papers went through. "Like I'd want to stay in contact with her after she humiliated me! The only way I salvaged the situation was to get her committed instead of arrested."

This time, it was Franks' turn to hold Fornell back. Once the FBI agent had himself under control, he ground out, "Mr. Summers, the more you talk, the more we just want to skip getting the money from you, and just go for the real pain – both figurative and literal."

Seeing the real danger he was in from these two men, Hank decided this was a lost cause…for now, anyway. He could always get satisfaction from the freak later. "Fine. I'll get you the damn money!"

Franks must have seen something in his eyes, because he hissed venomously as they left a few hours later with the check, "Oh, and Summers? If I ever hear of you causing that beautiful young lady _any_ trouble… I'll come back for another visit, and I can't promise you'd survive that one."

_*End of Flashback*_

* * *

"I get it." Buffy knew how important his job was to Hank. Even when she had still been his princess, work came first with him. "Wow, that's so weird," she commented after a moment.

"What is?" Franks asked.

"I slept with a Parker Abrams in college." She shuddered at the memory of that mistake in her history. "That's a little too similar for my tastes."

Franks remembered the name from their research on Hank and his lover. "You're right, that is too close. Stephen Abrams' little brother went to UC-Sunnydale; Parker couldn't get into Stanford like Stephen and their dad."

Buffy looked like she was going to throw up. She slept with the brother of her step-father's lover! "Ick! Where's mental bleach when you need it? So I take it this means Parker's dad wasn't really dead?"

Okay, that was out of left field. Fornell had to ask, "Why would you ask that?"

Realizing that she make a mistake which these two weren't likely to let go of, Buffy sighed. "Umm, okay you gotta remember that I was really stupid back then. Please, you can't tell Gibbs about this! Promise me! He pulled the sensitive, vulnerable crap on me to get me to sleep with him. Then the next time I saw him, he treated me like I should have known it was just a casual hook-up."

"He what?" Fornell positively growled. It was one thing to know that sort of thing happened, but for it to happen to Buffy?

Buffy held out her hand as if to keep him from storming out, wincing as it pulled at her stitches. "Remember, you promised not to tell my dad. Sure, Parker was a complete asshole for doing that to me and who knows how many other girls, but he doesn't deserve to die for it."

Franks gave Fornell a look, then assured the young blonde, "Don't worry, we won't say anything to probie."

"Good," Buffy breathed a sigh of relief, not catching the meaning of the look or the careful wording of his promise. "Now come over here so I can give you _both_ a kiss to thank you for taking care of Hank. Because of the Council, I don't really need the money now, but on principle, I'm glad to make him pay. Mom had to work too many long hours to pay the bills while she was alive, and I would have had to work at the frickin' Doublemeat Palace to keep from losing the house if it wasn't for Giles. Thanks to him, I was able to work on my degree instead. And because of Hank's utter selfishness-" She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Okay, it's in the past now, and my life is good," she finished, trying to convince herself as much as them.

"We can always go back and break a couple bones…" Franks offered with a smile.

Buffy shook her head, "Nah. Then he would feel like a martyr instead of a bastard. Wow, Giles would be so proud of me for not going for blood."

Fornell looked at her in disbelief. "You're kidding, right? The man Gibbs described as _frightening_? I'm a little surprised that Hank was still in one piece when we showed up."

Guessing that they thought Giles had failed her somehow, Buffy explained, "That's 'cause Giles knows I stopped caring about Hank when he didn't show up for Mom's funeral. Knowing that he wasn't my real dad helps explain why he cut me out of his life when they divorced."

"No, it doesn't. He was lucky to have a chance to have you in his life." Fornell brushed the hair gently away from her face before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks. Oops, you guys better get out of here; the nurse is gonna make my life miserable now," Buffy said as the door opened to show woman in question. Only the slight twinkle in Buffy's eyes showed she didn't hold the nurse personally responsible for her misery.

Franks gave her a kiss and squeezed her hand. "Take care, girlie. We'll see you when you get out. I hear your friends are planning quite the party to welcome you home."

"You'd think they would learn not to throw parties for me!" Buffy muttered under her breath after the two left, much to the confusion of the nurse attending her.

* * *

As they made their way to the parking lot, Fornell turned to his accomplice- er, _associate._ "So, you up for a visit to see that Abrams boy?"

Franks gave him that chilling grin again. "I like the way you think."

**

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LA bar

**Two weeks later…**

"Hey, barkeep! Two beers, please," Franks requested as they took their seats at the bar.

While he did that, Fornell turned to the young man sitting next to them. "Hey, you're Parker Abrams, right? You went to UC-Sunnydale before it fell into a crater?"

Parker moved his gaze from the waitress he was mentally undressing to the two old guys that addressed him. "Yeah. Do I know you?"

"Not personally. I'm a friend of the family," Fornell answered, leaving out _whose_ family he was friends with. "Let me buy you a drink."

"Thanks, mister." Parker made it a habit never to turn down a free drink; saved him money so he could use it to con women into bed.

**

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**

Several drinks later…

Franks grabbed Parker before he could slide off of his bar stool. "Geez man, I think we should help you get home; you're in no condition to drive."

"That's weird. I can usually hold my liquor better than this. Guess I shoulda eaten more at dinner," Parker slurred in return.

Grabbing Parker's other arm to lead him out, Fornell murmured to Franks behind the boy's back, "Or maybe you shouldn't have taken that roofie we gave you."

With glazed eyes, Parker asked, "What was that?"

Franks opened the door to their rental and gestured for Parker to get in. "Nothing. Bell was just agreeing with you. Let's go grab something on our way."

Parker giggled then. "Bell. We should go to _Taco_ Bell. Bell can have his tacos." Then he collapsed in the back seat of the car.

Pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance, Fornell complained, "Cripe. Can't we just pound the shit out of him and leave him in an alley? I lost my tolerance for his company about two minutes after meeting him – and it only took that long because he was drinking instead of talking."

"I'd rather he be awake for this. It's much more satisfying that way," Franks answered ominously.

Fornell agreed with that sentiment. "What's with the name you came up with for me?"

"Took the 'b' from your first name and tacked it onto the last syllable of your last name. Hey, sorry if you wanted the little creep to know your real name." Franks peeked in the back seat to see Parker had passed out, then he moved to the passenger side to get in.

"It's fine, I was just curious." Once they were buckled up, Fornell started the car and began their journey to the safe house they picked for this little adventure. "So, since we want to avoid physical proof, I'm guessing we're doing sleep deprivation and the other mind techniques?"

Since this was just a re-hash of their earlier conversations, Franks said what he was supposed to, "Sure, sounds good to me. And when he asks which girl we're doing this for?"

"We'll let him wonder about that. Should be good for some nightmares whenever he runs into one of them." Then Fornell chuckled evilly.

Franks joined him in laughing at their victim. "You sure are a vicious bastard. If you ever want to take a break from reality, feel free to look me up in Mexico. Probie knows how to find me."

* * *

Monday morning came around, and a very nervous Parker Abrams slipped into the mailroom of Johnson, Kendrick and Taylor – which just happened to be the law firm his big brother, Stephen worked at. The full extent of the trauma his 'missing weekend' caused became evident the next time a young lady from the steno pool tried to bed him. When it came time to seal the deal, his equipment failed to rise to the occasion. That was just the first of many such failures, and even Viagra couldn't help him.

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A/N: Next…Clearing the air.


	36. Chapter 35: New Relationships

**Chapter 35: New Relationships**

A/N: Gonna try this in 1st person Buffy.

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: #4472 'Bunny is my what?' by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: AshDawnSoulmates and Chrislover.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission. Picture of the truck found on a google search.

**Posted In Honor of clarityfades, who gave me my 5000****th**** review on TtH – as well as many other reviews!**

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From the Mostly-Private Journal of Buffy Summers…

**My hospital room**

**One day post-getting shot**

Even before I opened my eyes, I could feel somebody watching me. Carefully, I slit my eyes open, just enough to see who it was. Much to my surprise Ziva was standing next to my bed, staring at me with an inscrutable – a Giles word, go me! – expression. Made me wonder if the Director's comments before she left last night were just the beginning of what she had planned. Was Ziva here to intimidate me into leaving NCIS? They'd be in for a big disappointment if that was the case.

I'd stick around to finish my job no matter what. Add getting to know my real father and it'd take the end of the world to get me to leave. And even then it'd only be temporary. In only a few months, Gibbs had broken down all the walls I'd built around my heart to protect it from bad fathers and military people who betrayed me. I loved him as much as Giles – and that was something I thought would be impossible for anyone to achieve.

Ziva's voice interrupted my musings, "Are you going to continue to pretend to sleep, or can we talk now?"

Peeking out at her, I hedged with a bit of defiance, "Depends on what you plan to say to me. Not really in the mood to hear you tell me that Gibbs is better off without me in his life."

Her confusion looked genuine to me. "Why would I say that?"

"Never mind." Guess that answered the question of whether she was here for the Director or not.

"No. I actually…uhh…wanted to say…" Ziva stuttered out, confusing the hell out of me. What the frilly heck was going on here? "Well, you saved my life yesterday, and I haven't been very friendly towards you, so…"

Suddenly I understood. Instead of letting her stumble over her apology anymore, I interrupted her, "Ziva, can I tell you a little story? I promise it has some bearing on what I think you're trying to say."

"Go ahead," she said, seeming relieved not to have to talk for a little longer.

I thought about how to de-Slayer-fy my history while still leaving the lessons I learned. Luckily, telling my dad was good practice. "When I was younger, I was sort of in charge of a youth neighborhood watch group in my hometown. Some stuff happened and things got tense between my friends and me. I left for the summer without talking to them first, and it got even worse when I came back. We were just getting used to being with each other again without all the tension when this new girl showed up. She was a group leader, too, but she enjoyed her position more than I did. The others loved her cheerfulness and upbeat attitude, and that made me feel like I was being replaced by the new and improved model."

Although she seemed to be paying close attention, Ziva grew impatient with my little tale. "What does this have to do with me?" she demanded to know.

"I'm getting to that," I assured her. "Looking back, I wish I'd been mature enough to see that it didn't have to be a competition between me and the other girl. Maybe if I treated her more like a sister than a rival, things wouldn't have fallen apart between us. We eventually worked things out – after a _lot_ of fighting and other crap happened. My point is, I know what it feels like to have to share my friends with a new person," I explained sympathetically.

"Just so you know, I don't want to replace you; I never did. My career isn't the NCIS, and sooner or later, I'm going to be moving on to another agency and/or town. Since Gibbs is my dad, I will stay in contact with NCIS more than originally intended, but you don't have to worry about me trying to push you out. Even if I wanted to, I don't think the others would let you go without a fight."

It was the last comment that made her smile – even if it was a tiny little smile. "Thank you for that. I'd apologize for how I treated you, but Gibbs says it's a sign of weakness," Ziva said. It could have been my imagination, but I could have sworn her voice was a bit wistful when she said his name. Did she prefer my father to her own? Huh, something to think about.

Still, I had to admit something to her, "Well, I don't agree with him on all of his rules, but you were just watching out for your friends and co-workers, so we're good."

"Thank you for saving my life," she replied sincerely.

I just shrugged casually. "It's what you do for a team member, right?" Now that that was over with, I changed the subject, "So tell me, are the commander and her son okay?"

**

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Same day

**A couple hours later…**

After Ziva told me about the people we'd rescued, she left for work so I could get some rest. Except, before I could fall asleep, Fornell and Franks showed up with a check from my negligent step-father.

Once they were gone, I managed to get a couple hours of sleep. Yeah, I was a Slayer – and therefore healed quickly – but it didn't stop my body from needing rest to make it happen.

When I woke up, I fingered the charm which made my wound appear normal to the doctors and nurses. All the Slayers had them to keep any curious eyes off of girls who healed overnight from near-fatal wounds. The Council wasn't going to allow any of the girls to end up as lab rats in some Initiative-type facility. Another perk of the charm as that it let the Coven know when a Slayer was seriously injured and where they were being treated.

At least I managed to avoid a swarm of Council friends from descending on me. Faith was busy with some minis who were having some trouble, and the others had an emergency situation building that they were trying to head off at the pass. Didn't stop any of them from giving me crap about getting shot. You know, the whole 'You're not Wonder Woman with her special bracelets' or 'The third death might be the last one, Buffy' or 'You need a keeper, B'.

Now I had to figure out how to convince them to let me go home. Even when I needed to be in the hospital, I hated it. To be there when I didn't…well, that was just torture.

As if he heard my silent plea, my grandpa came into the room, took one look at me and scolded me, "You know, lil darlin'…if I'd known that you were gonna go and get yourself shot, I'd never have let you leave Stillwater."

Trying to look as innocent as possible, I gave him my best puppy eyes and 'apologized', "Sorry, Dada Jack; didn't expect for it to happen."

He sniffed at my words, clearly not believing that I was truly innocent; imagine that! "Well, guess this means I'm gonna have to stay around a bit longer to keep you out of trouble," he declared, attempting to look stern. The happy glint in his eyes gave him away, though.

Even though I was thrilled at the idea of him being in town while I 'recovered', I had to ask about his responsibilities, "Really? What about your store?"

Dada Jack merely brushed off my concern. "Got one of the local kids to take over for a bit. They've worked for me about 5 years now; I think they know what to do."

They worked for him for five years? "How old is this 'kid'?" I inquired.

"Twenty-five," he answered. "Why do you ask?"

Two years older than me. It made me chuckle. "Just when I think of a kid, I picture some pimply-faced high school student."

"You'll find that your opinion of that picture changes as you get older," Dada Jack warned. He studied me to take in how I looked; he must have liked what he saw 'cause he smiled and asked, "Now, what should we do while you're on leave so you can recover?"

"Will you help me break out of the hospital?" I begged with a conspiratorial grin.

He thought about it for a minute or so, then replied, "I can tell them that my sole responsibility will be looking after you. Maybe that will convince them to let you go. You aren't having any problems, are you?" he checked, suddenly unsure about this plan.

I quickly tried to reassure him, "The only problem I have right now is keeping up the pretense that I'm still hurt."

"You're better already?" he asked, looking a little suspicious. Was it because he was my grandfather and was overprotective, or did I actually look bad to him?

"Mostly." His stare broke me down, so I had to admit, "It's still achy, but nowhere near bad enough to be stuck in the hospital."

My honest answer seemed to placate him more than pretending to be 100% better. "Okay, if you're sure that it's safe for you to leave."

"More than sure!" I almost shouted, smiling brightly at the idea of escaping.

"Alright then, what would you like to do together?" he asked, leaning back in his chair to get comfortable.

Somehow I didn't think he'd like to go shopping or anything girly. "What do you like to do to relax?" I turned the question back on him.

"Before he enlisted, your dad and I would work on cars together sometimes," he recalled with a wistful tone. "Would you like to try that? We could find an old vehicle to fix up. I warn you though, it can get kind of expensive if you let it."

Eww, getting all oily and grimy? Not my first choice. Then again, if you'd asked me six months ago if I'd like working on a boat, I'd have called you fruitier than a banana stand. Plus, his sweet face looked so hopeful that I found myself replying, "It just so happens that I came into some fun money this morning. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it, but this sounds perfect!"

The smile on his face made my reservations disappear like magick. "Good! Then we can look for something suitable to fix up. What would you like to try: a motorcycle, a car or a truck?"

I knew which one Faith would pick. "Hmm, the motorcycle is really tempting, and maybe sometime in the future, but a truck might come in handy for Council business. Sometimes we have to transport things that are hard to fit in a car," I decided, trying to be responsible.

"Have you ever gone camping?" Dada Jack asked after a few minutes.

"Not really," I told him honestly. It wouldn't be good to pretend everything or he wouldn't know the real me. "I'm not one for roughing it unless it's absolutely necessary."

"This wouldn't be roughing it – at least not by my standards," he corrected himself. That made me wonder what his definition was. "What I was thinking of was getting a camper that fits in the bed of a truck. It's a tight fit, but if there's more than four people going, you can always have some people sleep in tents. A friend of mine has one he wants to sell. It needs a bit of work, but it's still in pretty good condition. You'll want to update the fabrics; it's from the 70s."

Picturing avocado green and burnt orange, I couldn't help but cringe a little. "Yeah, I would probably want to get something more…me."

"Anyway, he used it when he went fishing or hunting with his grandkids, but they've stopped wanting to go now that they're older," Dada Jack explained. There was that wistful tone again.

But thinking about it, I actually started to get excited about the idea too. Not the hunting – unless it was for evil demons – but taking the kids out could be a fun family thing to do. "You know what? That actually sounds really good! I bet Jordy would love to go out camping in something like that, and when JR gets older, he can go too."

He smiled brightly again. Made me happy that I could cause that. It was really nice having a loving grandfather.

"That should help us narrow the search down then," he told me. "We'll need a truck with an eight foot bed."

"Wow, you seem to know a lot about this camper," I pointed out, wondering if he got a commission or something if he sold it. Not that I would care, but he sounded very invested its sale.

Dada Jack actually blushed…a tiny bit. That was so adorable! "Well, he put a flyer up about it in my store. If I still went camping, I would have bought it myself."

"So you'll have to go with us now!" I instantly invited him. After all, it wouldn't be happening if it weren't for him. He should get to enjoy it too.

My answer didn't please him for some reason. Or at least that's the impression I got from his frown. "You aren't doing this for me, are you? That's too much money to spend if it's not something _you_ want."

"Slayer's honor that I want it. I may not have thought about it before, but I want it…promise," I vowed, trying different hand signals for Boy Scouts, swearing an oath in court, even the Vulcan greeting – not that I would admit I knew it to Andrew. Made me wonder if we should come up with something. Oh well, I'd have to worry about that later.

"Good!" he declared with a chuckle. I think he recognized the Vulcan thing. "Do you have a laptop with you? We could search online for a truck nearby."

Wait! My father's father wants a computer to look up trucks for sale? Something was seriously wrong with this picture. "Are you sure that Dad is related to us? He hates technology with a passion."

"Maybe it skips a generation," Dada Jack teased. I pointed to my computer bag on the floor next to his chair. He talked while he plugged it in and started it up, "If we can't find anything that way, we can always try the old-fashioned way."

An hour later, we had a short list of trucks to check out within 75 miles. Dada Jack promised to go and see which one would be a good first vehicle for us to fix up together. He didn't want it to take a long time for us to finish. Especially since we had to do the camper as well.

I didn't tell him this, but I had my favorite of the bunch. It was a '65 Chevy that was sort of a seafoam green color. Not entirely convinced I want to keep it that color, but who knows, maybe it will grow on me. And since the point of this is trying to keep what we can authentic…wait! That would mean that I have to use old colors for the camper too! Maybe I could find a vintage color that I like and use it for both – make them match. That could be doable.

* * *

A/N: I switched Jenny's chapter with the Fornell/Franks chapter so they happen chronologically. The conversation between Buffy and Fornell/Franks happens between Ziva's visit and Jackson's.

A/N2: the truck Buffy likes – http:/i1232. photobucket. com /albums/ff370/mmooch/6520chevy. jpg

A/N3: Next…New Watchers.


	37. Chapter 36: A New Team of Watchers

**Chapter 36: A New Team of Watchers**

A/N: It's a lot shorter than usual, but I had to write it quickly for my celebration today.

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: #4472 'Bunny is my what?' by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: Chrislover and CindyB. Posted in a big hurry, so some of the betas might have to get back to me later.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted In Honor of the 1,000,000****th**** hit for all my stories on TtH! *high-pitched squeal of excitement***

* * *

**DC Council Headquarters (aka Summers/Osbourne/Harris home)**

**The next week…**

Abby looked around the private office Buffy kept in her home; it was and wasn't something she would picture for Buffy. It was almost like she and Ducky got together and created the room, since parts of it had that 'Old World library-ish' feel to it. "So what are we here for? It isn't an NCIS thing, right? Not with just me and Ducky here."

Shaking her head, Buffy replied, "No, this is a Slayer thing. Oz has already officially joined the Council, but hasn't received a specific assignment – other than being my back-up. I've been allowed to offer you two positions – assuming you pass the interview process."

"Do all Council members have to be vetted?" Ducky inquired, studying the young blonde for any signs that her injury still bothered her. Remarkably, she seemed as if she had never been shot. Not even the tiniest grimace of discomfort when she moved that shoulder.

Buffy smirked at the good doctor, knowing what he was doing. She supposed that anyone with a scientific mind couldn't help themselves. As long as he didn't try to turn her into a lab rat, she was cool with his curiosity. "All except the original gang. Even the Slayers have to pass the interview," she said to their surprise. How does a Slayer not pass?

Ducky asked the question first, "What happens if a Slayer doesn't pass?"

"We bind her abilities, and if necessary, petition the Powers to remove her from the Slayer line," Buffy explained. The first time they had to do it, it came as quite a surprise that the Powers would help them. It had to be for a good enough reason – in the Powers' opinion – that they wanted to remove a girl though, and not just because of personality conflicts.

Still shocked that a Slayer – somebody the Council was created to help – might not make it past the interview process, Abby wondered, "Has that ever happened?"

"Twice," Buffy confirmed sadly. "One girl was too mentally broken, and the other girl was too power hungry."

"Will they ever get their abilities back?" Ducky asked gently. He could see this was a sore topic for the head Slayer. Most likely, she felt somehow responsible for not being able to help 'her girls' without taking away their abilities.

He would have been stunned to hear his thoughts echoed almost verbatim in Buffy's mind. She absently played with the obligatory globe near her desk. The only thing that marked it as a Slayer's was what was inside it. Instead of the mini-bar found in similar globes, she had protection charms, holy water and a few smaller weapons, like daggers and stakes.

"Doubtful in Dana's case; she's _that_ unstable. But we are hopeful in the other case. Rona was one of the Sunnydale Potentials, so it kinda feels worse for all of us that we had to do it. After some time has passed, we'll give her another chance – as per the Powers' condition for helping us – and if she doesn't pass again, she's out for good." Part of Buffy was still surprised that it hadn't been Kennedy who went all 'I'm the best' on them; she was the one who was so sure she was next in the original line to be Chosen after Faith's death.

"Wow! So Slayers aren't infallible? When it comes to slaying, I mean," Abby clarified. She knew that Buffy was human, and therefore subject to making bad personal decisions. The fact that she had ex-boyfriends would seem to confirm that assumption.

"Sadly, no. But at least now the Council just binds their abilities. In the past, they would have just sent a team to 'handle' the situation," the blonde Slayer spat out venomously. "They actually tried with Faith…twice," she told them, but held back that the second time, the Council almost got her instead. "It all worked out for the best. She's a great role model now that she's calmed down a bit." The pride in her voice for her sister-Chosen One Slayer was clear to the other two.

Sensing a need for a change of subject, Ducky brought the discussion back to what she previously mentioned, "So what is it you would like us to do for the Council?"

Buffy smiled at him gratefully for pulling her away from some dark memories. She hopped up onto the front of the desk instead of sitting in the chair behind it like a stuffy, tweed-clad Council member, and began to share her vision for the group, "Well, Ducky, you two – as well as Oz – will be Watchers, and _your_ specific duties would be research and medical training: first aid…that sort of thing," she added, pointing to the older gentleman. He was in good shape, but more valuable behind the scenes than out in the field.

Excited to become part of the group, Abby just about bounced in place. Actually, after a couple seconds of trying to hold back, that's exactly what she did. "And mine?" she demanded.

Unable to stop the chuckles bubbling up at the sight, Buffy said, "For right now, we need you and Oz to build a database of demons and other necessary info. We also would like a website that can only be accessed by Council members."

Abby bit her lip, thinking of all the times she broke into systems that were supposed to be impenetrable. "Well, pretty much any site is hackable by somebody; how secure are you wanting it to be?"

"Oh, it's not just regular security on it," Buffy hastened to assure her, "…but we'd like good software, too. We'll have an added magical component to access. You'll have to talk to the coven for the exact details, but the part I understood was some kind of aura scanner. Like the magical equivalent of a fingerprint, but with the safety measure so that somebody can't be coerced or drugged into accessing the site for somebody else."

At that, Abby almost started drooling at the possibilities. Then she started babbling at light speed while Ducky and Buffy exchanged bemused glances.

"I'm not sure we need to be here for this," Ducky said with a grin. He gestured to the animated woman and added, "She's talking to herself at the moment. Why don't we go to the kitchen for some tea, and you can tell me what's involved in your interview process?"

Buffy started even as they began to walk out of the room, "It's mostly just a normal interview, but with human lie detectors and aura readers to make sure that you're on the up and up."

"If that's the case," Ducky replied. "Have you heard about The Lightman Group here in DC? Several top government agencies use them."

Surprised that the Council didn't already know about them, Buffy shook her head. Having a Stateside group, as well as the European one, would be a tremendous asset. The irony would be that this local group would have to be vetted by the other one. That made Buffy giggle, which she then explained to Ducky, who shared in her amusement.

* * *

A/N: Ha! Bet you all thought I'd say it was Kennedy who was power-hungry, didn't you? Rona was my second least-favorite Potential, so when I want a Potential/mini-Slayer besides KenKen to slam, Rona will likely be the one. And the Lie to Me thing was literally as I typed it up. I was going to use mind readers, but then Musie decided that the Council – or at least several top members – wouldn't have felt comfortable with such an intrusive measure…even for the sake of their security.

Additional Disclaimer: Lie to Me belongs to Samuel Baum, Imagine Entertainment and Fox Television.

A/N2: Next… Hmm, not sure. Hadn't really planned to work on this story while finishing college. When the milestone thing came up, I thought this would be the best way to celebrate it.


	38. Chapter 37: A New Hobby

**Chapter 37: A New Hobby**

A/N: This will be rather short, but I had a particular spot I wanted to end this chapter so it would have the greatest impact. It's still longer than the last chapter…barely, so I'm happy.

To the reviewers: I apologize for not answering you, but the reply button on isn't working. I'll trying to send a private message for those of you who have that feature enabled. Just know that I greatly appreciate your continued interest in the story.

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: #4472 'Bunny is my what?' by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: None this time 'cause this is already overdue; got my dates mixed up. Sorry about that, folks.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted In Honor of the 2****nd**** anniversary of the story's first post!**

* * *

**Summers/Osbourne/Harris garage**

After wiping his hands dry, Jordy looked at the two sides of the garage/workshop, trying to decide who he wanted to help today. Dada Jack and Buffy were doing mechanical stuff to the truck, while Oz was continuing his reupholstery of the fabric in the camper.

The younger werewolf smiled when he remembered Buffy's reaction to finding out that Oz was almost a master tailor; it was a skill taught to him by the monks to help serve as a physical form of occupying himself to control the beast within him. What made it truly astonishing was that he sewed completely by hand – nothing machine-stitched. His work looked just as good as store-bought stuff though.

Then Jordy saw what Oz was currently sewing and felt guilty. Yesterday, he had tried to help Oz by cutting the fabric for the benches, but screwed up, making that fabric useless. Instead of getting angry though, Buffy and Oz thanked him for reminding them that they needed throw pillows. That's what Oz was sewing at the moment. Despite their understanding attitude, he knew he cost them more money and didn't want to risk that again. At least he learned the lesson of measure twice, cut once – something Dada Jack said all people needed to know.

Waving at his cousin, he moved to help the mechanics for a while. He mostly just handed them things, but occasionally he'd get to turn a wrench or something. Plus, Dada Jack had the greatest stories about Papa Gibbs.

As soon as he arrived, Jackson looked up and grinned at the young man. So many children his age would have fought to play with their friends or on some computer instead of helping with this project. From the conversations they had, he knew Jordy played video games, so it wasn't a matter of being a technophobe like Jethro.

Anyway, time to put the boy to work. "Jordy, I need you to take the WD-40 and spray the bolts holding the seats in place. If we want any chance of Buffy being able to loosen them without damaging anything, they need some oil," Jackson explained for both Buffy and Jordy's sakes. "By the way, did I ever tell you about the time when Jethro decided he was going to build his own bicycle from old wheelbarrow parts?"

For the next couple hours, they worked while exchanging stories about their pasts. Then it came time to break for lunch, so they cleaned up their work area – something Jackson insisted on even though they intended to get right back to it when they were done eating – and then washed up. Anya was inside getting the meal together while she worked on her demon book.

* * *

"Have we decided on the wood for the cabinets yet, guys?" Buffy asked between bites. "Gibbs wants to get started on carving the doors and all that kind of stuff."

Anya looked up from feeding JR to add her opinion, "Why not use cedar? It's supposed to be the best for closets, so I would assume the same is true for cabinets."

"She has a point," Jackson agreed. "Plus, if we wanted the closet to be cedar, having the cabinets match would be good."

Oz and Jordy nodded their approval, so Buffy concluded, "Okay, cedar it is. Thanks for the help, Anya." She was finding it essential to verbalize her gratitude to everyone to let them know that they were important to her. So far it was doing wonders for not just Jordy, but even the more stoic-minded individuals like Oz and her dad. Anya practically preened every single time still.

Jackson saw Anya's notebooks on the counter and inquired, "How's your writing coming along?"

Knowing better than to give details in front of Jordy, Anya kept her answer general, "So far I've covered the list of different vengeance demons and the way they usually answer wishes; most have a specific style they prefer. Then I started on the demons I met with their descriptions and whatever I could remember about them. So far I've got about… I think 200 species? Although, that isn't entirely accurate because some of those are sub-species of a larger group. Like the difference between a horned x'Largoz demon and a hornless one…or the double-horned ones," she added belatedly.

"Still, that's a lot of demons," Buffy replied, impressed by Anya's efforts. When she thought about it, though, it wasn't really surprising. When Anya decided to do something, she was very single-minded and thorough about it. Fortunately, she wasn't ignoring JR or her own well-being to get this done. That would require an intervention by the Slayer. No way was she going to let Xander's family suffer just so the Council would get the best book – or more likely series of books – on demons they probably would ever have.

Just as they were cleaning up the table, the phone rang and Jordy rushed to answer it, "Hotel California, how may I direct your call?" He listened for a couple seconds, then held it out for Buffy. "It's the Council."

* * *

Taking the phone into the other room for privacy, Buffy greeted the other person warily, "This is Buffy Summers."

"Oh good, you're home," Giles' voice responded in her ear. "How's your shoulder? Do you think you're able to handle a situation that's come up in the States?"

"Hello to you, too, Giles," she snarked. "Things are good here, thanks for asking. Can I help you some way?"

"I'm sorry for being blunt, but time is an issue, I'm afraid," he answered.

Buffy felt bad for giving him a hard time. She knew that he only got really flustered like this when it was potentially world end-ish…or when he was interested in a woman. Somehow she doubted it was the latter, however. "What's the sitch?" Gee, didn't that make her think she was watching too much Disney with Jordy.

There was a pause on the other end, and something told her she wouldn't like what came next.

Finally, Giles said the fatal words, "Something's happened at Wolfram & Hart in Los Angeles."

She took a deep breath and waited for the angst to bubble up at the thought of facing Angel again, but nothing happened. "I assume it has to do with Angel's team? What do you need from us?"

"Is Oz at home today?" was Giles' odd reply.

"Yeah. Why?" Then a light bulb flipped on in her brain and she made the connection. "Oh, this is gonna require some magical mojo, isn't it? She's coming stateside?"

"Yes, and I need to know if that will cause a problem for Oz," he bluntly stated. She could almost hear him polishing his glasses while he waited for her answer.

Although she wasn't entire sure he was okay with everything, Buffy knew Oz would stay in control at least long enough to save the world. "He'll be okay, even if he has to spend time with her. He's got the wolf firmly under control now."

Her Watcher's sigh of relief could have powered a windmill. "Good. She has a few more things to gather, then she'll be teleporting to your inner training room within ten minutes. She'll have all the information we have about the situation so she can brief you in person. Oh, and Buffy? You'll need the Scythe for this one," he warned.

"I'll let the others know," she said before hanging up. Without even turning around, Buffy knew that Oz was behind her. "What did you hear?" she asked.

"Enough," Oz replied. "I'd like to be there when she arrives. She needs to understand that I'm over the past now. It's the only way I can truly help with the Council."

Buffy nodded her agreement. "She'll be here in about ten minutes downstairs. I'm not sure how long we'll be gone, but we should pack for a few days at least."

It took Oz a minute to understand that she expected him to go with them wherever they were headed, but he was grateful she didn't doubt his ability to be part of the team. "I'll be ready," he assured her, talking about both the packing and the upcoming confrontation.

* * *

**Ten minutes later…**

Buffy and Oz were alone downstairs so they could greet the Wiccan privately, although Buffy kept back so she wouldn't interfere unless absolutely necessary. The house wards pulsed to let them know a friend was arriving seconds before the portal opened. Once she was all the way through, Oz stepped forward slightly and greeted her calmly, "Tara."

* * *

A/N: I'm evil, right?

A/N2: Next… a look back at the past.


	39. Chapter 38: An Old Story

**Chapter 38: An Old Story**

A/N: Exposition chapter, no dialogue. Had to make a small adjustment in chapter 10 to keep the story correct. Consider yourselves ret-conned.

To the reviewers: I apologize for not answering you, but the reply button on isn't working. I'll trying to send a private message for those of you who have that feature enabled. Just know that I greatly appreciate your continued interest in the story.

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: #4472 'Bunny is my what?' by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal, Chrislover and AshDawnSoulmates.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted as a thank you for all the kind reviews and continued interest!**

**Council headquarters, England**

**Tara's room**

While she packed, Tara thought back to when it all fell apart. Maybe when Willow did the Tabula Rasa spell and they all lost their memories? After all, that was the final straw for Tara; why she broke up with her ginger girlfriend for good. After a couple more seconds of considering it, that wasn't the problem, though.

The problem was bringing Buffy back from the dead.

Oh, if you wanted to get technical about it, there were older actions Willow did that flouted the Wiccan Rede, but resurrecting Buffy disrupted the cosmic balance. So that was the decision Tara figured was the turning point.

* * *

**Two+ years previous…**

When Dawnie tried to bring her mother back, Tara went into a rant about accepting the circle of life that lasted for over an hour, so Willow had known that she – Tara – would never have gone along with the resurrection spell, even if Buffy died a mystical death. That was why she hid the spell from her lover and asked the others – Xander, Anya and Spike – to do the same.

Tara guessed that she must have found out about it at some point, though, because why else would Willow have done a forgetting spell on her? She wouldn't have known about it, except a college friend witnessed a fight between the two girls on campus and asked Tara a couple days later if they had patched things up yet. Since she had no idea what he was talking about, Tara grew suspicious and went searching through her possessions. It wasn't until she looked under her pillow that she found the Lethe's Bramble.

Going to confront her lover, Tara found out that the others had done the resurrection spell without her and Giles. As much as she wanted to get her anger at being the victim of Willow's magick out, she thought that helping Buffy readjust to living was far more important.

While she never told Willow that she knew about the forgetting spell, Tara was cold towards her lover…almost arctic. It took a couple weeks for Willow to figure out it wasn't just a matter of helping Buffy, who seemed way more depressed than somebody rescued from hell should have been. Their confrontation was postponed again by the singing demon, Sweet, but in the aftermath, Tara finally yelled that she knew Willow had violated her mind and she wasn't sure she could trust the redhead not to do it again.

Willow promised to give up magick for a week to prove her love for Tara was stronger than her need for magick.

The next day, they were gathered in the Magic Box for an announcement Giles had that concerned all of them. He was taking Buffy away to England so she could recuperate away from the Hellmouth and slaying. Spike could handle those for a little bit, and if they needed more help, they could call Angel's group in LA. As a last resort, they could try to get Faith out of prison if the situation needed a Slayer. Hopefully, it wouldn't get to that point before Buffy felt recovered enough to come back, though.

Then they all fainted from the spell.

Once the spell was broken, Tara realized that Willow _didn't_ care more about her than magick – or her willpower to stop wasn't strong enough – so Tara packed up her things from Buffy's house and moved out.

* * *

When Buffy and Giles came back the next spring, they learned about the trouble the Trio caused Sunnydale during their absence. Well, they found out there was trouble, then went about trying to discover who was behind it. They saw Jonathan acting kinda squirrelly, and decided to follow him back to a van Buffy remembered from those first days after her resurrection. Eventually, they found the Trio's hideout.

Sneaking in after the van left with all three of the criminal 'masterminds' in it, the Slayer and Watcher discovered the plans to rob an armored car using orbs of strength. They discussed it with the Scoobies and decided they needed a magical back-up in case Warren was too strong for Buffy to handle.

Of course Willow volunteered immediately, but since she had refused to go to the coven so they could teach her to use magick responsibly, both Buffy and Giles said no. While Tara didn't have the practical experience with spells like this that Willow did, they knew she had the foundational part from her mother down pat. Rather than make Buffy stronger, Tara thought it would be better to provide her with magical armor instead. It would absorb the impact of Warren's blows, which would give Buffy the opportunity to get close enough to destroy the orbs.

The plan worked perfectly, until he and Andrew escaped using jet packs, leaving Jonathan behind to be arrested by the police. He spilled his guts about everything, including the murder of Warren's ex-girlfriend, Katrina. As incompetent as the Sunnydale police could be, they still put out an APB on the other two immediately.

Andrew was caught the next day while shopping at the comic book store. He thought that getting the new issues as soon as they came out was more important than evading capture.

* * *

A couple days later, Willow was over at Buffy's house to apologize…well, for everything, and to tell them that she wanted to give the coven a chance. Just as the girls hugged, Warren showed up with a gun.

While he was ranting about Buffy ruining his plans, she searched for a weapon to use against him. He was too far away to hit with her hands or feet, and if she bent down to pick anything up, he would probably shoot her. That left trying to kick something at him. It was risky, so she made sure that Willow was safely behind her first.

Warren's shot was simultaneous with her kick. With her leg extended, the bullet passed through the fleshy part of her thigh and struck Willow in the chest as she dove to the ground for cover.

A police officer was driving by, heard the gunshot and came racing to the scene – after calling for back up, of course. He was new to the force, so he was better than the old timers left over from the Mayor's days. When Warren shot at the officer instead of dropping the gun as ordered, the officer showed why he graduated top in his class for marksmanship. A double tap to the head, followed by another one to the heart, and Warren's criminal career was over for good. It might have been overkill, but the officer had been warned that things were harder to kill in Sunnydale.

Once he secured the suspect's weapon, he ran to the yard that the suspect came out of earlier. There he found two young women who had been shot. One was losing blood far too quickly, so he tied a tourniquet around her leg, and the other was already dead. From what he could see, the bullet hit her directly in the heart; she wouldn't have survived, even if she were in the hospital when it happened.

* * *

Tara raced to the hospital when she heard that Buffy had been shot. While she didn't want to interfere with the natural order of things, she did offer a prayer to Airmid, the goddess of healing. If it was the goddess' will that Buffy survive, then she would survive. Apart from that, Tara wouldn't use any magick to compel the issue.

While they were waiting for news about Buffy's surgery, the police came by to ask why Warren Mears would target Buffy and Willow. His question shocked them because they hadn't heard about Willow's death yet. Apparently the living got quicker processing than the dead. He explained that scene suggested that Buffy was trying to protect Willow, but she hadn't counted on a through-and-through bullet hitting her friend. At least the officer could assure them that Willow hadn't suffered; he found that out from the EMTs in case anyone asked.

Half an hour after the officer spilled the beans, Xander got a call from the morgue since he was listed as Willow's first emergency contact. Anya insisted that she was Xander's; Giles was Anya's – because they were business partners; Buffy was Giles'; Tara was Buffy's; Willow was Tara's. Then the others were listed in a similar order so they all were on each other's contact lists.

They set it up that way so nobody was left uncovered in the case of two or more people being injured or killed at the same time. If all six of them were dead or in the hospital, then Cordy and Wes would be notified in LA. It wasn't out of spite that Angel and Spike were left off the contact sheet; it was a matter of convenience. If a body needed to be claimed during the day, it was too suspicious to have somebody who couldn't make it.

This was the first time the system was tested, and sadly, it worked perfectly.

As luck would have it, Willow's parents were in town when Xander called to give them the news. Despite them not being close to her, they insisted on having a Jewish burial…including the time constraint. The ME did not feel an autopsy was necessary after she did a preliminary check of Willow's body, which made the Rosenbergs grateful.

Buffy wanted to go to the funeral, but since she flatlined on the operating table as they tried to repair the damaged done by the bullet, the doctors refused to let her leave until the danger time had passed. It wasn't as if she could tell them that she healed fast, either. Anya provided a compromise, though. She had a cellphone on speakerphone so Buffy could hear the service.

It was two weeks after Willow's death that Anya asked Tara and Buffy for a slumber party at the Summers home. They thought she was having trouble knowing how to help a grieving Xander, but she held out the paper bag with the reason. Inside were pregnancy tests of every brand at the drug store. Anya thought it was a girl thing to have other women around for moral support, and neither Buffy or Tara had the heart to tell her that most women usually let the father-to-be part of it.

When Anya shared the news with her husband the next day, she vowed that if it was a girl, they could name her after Willow if he wanted. Even though, she and Willow had their fights – usually over Xander – Anya knew how important his childhood friend was to him, and if naming their daughter after her made him happy, then Anya was alright with it.

* * *

**Current day…**

Grabbing her bags, Tara took one last look around for anything critical she might have missed. When she didn't find anything, she walked to Giles' office to say goodbye. Part of her was happy to see Buffy and the others again – despite the circumstances – but the other part worried about seeing Oz again. Would he blame her for Willow's death? If she hadn't broken up with Willow, would that have changed things at all?

She knew that Willow didn't blame her. How did she know? Willow came back afterwards to say goodbye and to explain what she was doing after her death.

Apparently Willow upset the Angel of Death when she brought Buffy back. To make amends, she would have to work for him, reaping souls. She would have to do that one day for every day that Buffy was dead: 147. When that time had passed, she would be allowed to move onto her afterlife.

When she said her goodbyes to the Council members with Giles, Tara opened the portal and stepped through. The first person she saw was Oz, but behind him, she saw Buffy leaning against the wall. Tara felt a weight lift from her shoulders when he said her name without any anger.

* * *

A/N: This is the Angel of Death from Charmed'verse 'cause I like that one for a cross with BtVS.

A/N2: Next…The supernatural problem in LA.


	40. Chapter 39: A New Crisis

**Chapter 39: A New Crisis**

A/N: Trying to get this updated before my classes keep me from writing at all. This is my last term…assuming I pass the darn classes. Then I be a college graduate!

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: #4472 'Bunny is my what?' by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: zigpal, Chrislover, and tracysgate.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belong to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted in Honor of – I don't know, let's say 300K hits – on TtH!**

* * *

**DC Ursagga headquarters**

Deciding to jump right in, Tara announced, "The coven felt a breech in the Deeper Well."

Not recognizing the term, Oz asked, "What's the Deeper Well?"

Surprisingly, it was Buffy who answered him, "It's where the Old Ones are trapped…right? What do you mean, 'a breech'?" she demanded.

"One of the Old Ones got out. Whoever got the sarcophagus out used magick to shield it, which prevents anyone from scrying for its location. But we think it's at Wolfram & Hart," Tara explained.

Buffy quirked an eyebrow at the less than confident response. "You _think_?"

Tara shrugged her shoulder. "It took us the longest time to figure out how to find it. Andrew finally asked if there was a way to check for _nothing_. Whoever hid it didn't think that the lack of a presence would be as telling as an actual presence," she said, knowing that if they were right about this, they'd have to give the hyper 'geek' some special recognition for thinking outside the box. "Minutes after we found a void the size of a sarcophagus, it entered Wolfram & Hart."

"Well, that's not good," Buffy stated the obvious. She chewed on her lip for a second, then inquired, "Did you ask Angel about it? Maybe there's a good reason-"

"Why they would help free a demon more powerful than _Glory_?" Tara finished sardonically, quirking her own eyebrow this time. "I doubt it. Besides, when Giles tried to call him after we learned where it was, he couldn't get through to Angel."

"Angel wouldn't listen to him?" Oz spoke up again, starting to worry that maybe Angelus was loose again or something. No problem was made better by having that lunatic free.

Shaking her head, Tara replied, "No, I mean Giles wasn't able to talk to Angel at all. As soon as he identified himself and said there was a problem, the receptionist squeaked in alarm and hung up on him. Giles doesn't have the direct numbers for Angel or Wesley, so he _had_ to go through the receptionist. Even when we tried having somebody else call, she kept doing the same thing. We don't know if this means Angel's turned evil, or if-"

Buffy cut in, "His secretary is an idiot who might have stolen another unicorn and thought Giles was calling to say we were going to slay her for it? Unless Angel's gotten rid of Harmony, that scenario wouldn't surprise me at all," she snarked, remembering the annoying blonde vampire from her kidnapping scheme in Sunnydale. "I guess Giles is hoping that if I show up, Angel will either explain himself, or – if he's Angelus again – he'll slip up and try to kill me?" she guessed.

"Something like that," Tara said with another – this time apologetic - shrug. Her talks with Buffy over the past couple years revealed that the blonde Slayer didn't have blinders on when it came to her ex anymore, but hearing that she was being used as bait to test his loyalty couldn't be fun for her.

Deciding to set aside the issue of Angel/Angelus for the moment, Oz asked another important question, "What's the worst case if this Old One gets out?"

Researching this problem back in England with all the people who weren't already involved in critical research sessions helped show that the Council _could_ be useful…when properly managed by the right people. It meant Tara could tell Buffy and Oz something – even if it wasn't good. "At the very least, whoever releases the Old One will die an agonizing death as their body is consumed in order to become a vessel for it to inhabit."

Oz grimaced at the thought, then moved on, "Okay, so once we get in, what's the plan?"

"Well…best case scenario: the sarcophagus is intact, and nobody has been 'infected' with the essence of an Old One. If that's the case, we just have to return it to the Deeper Well," Tara said hopefully.

Buffy scoffed at the idea of them having a 'best case' when it came to Slayer stuff, "Uh-huh…since we _know_ it isn't going to happen that way, so what's the real plan?"

This was the hard part. Tara took a couple deep breaths to calm herself, but she still stuttered a little when she answered, "It's dangerous, and we aren't even sure it would work."

After Tara explained the plan the Council and the Coven – mostly the Coven – came up with, Buffy let out a low whistle. "When you said dangerous, you weren't kidding."

Despite knowing there wasn't really any other option – except killing the poor person before the transformation was complete – Tara agreed with her friend. "It isn't as if there's precedence for something like this," she pointed out. "But we honestly believe this is our best chance of stopping the Old One."

This was giving Buffy that déjà vu-y feeling all over again, taking her back to the Glory showdown, and look how that one turned out. "Alrighty…guess I should make my goodbyes, just in case." She turned to Oz and suggested, "Speaking of which, Oz, maybe you shouldn't come. Jordy can't afford to lose you so soon after his parents."

Oz narrowed his eyes at her and almost growled in protest. "I think losing you would hurt him just as much, Buffy," he pointed out. "I made a promise to fight by your side, and I intend to keep it." Pausing for a moment, he added, "Uhh, do you think Gibbs would take care of Jordy if something did happen to both of us?"

To Buffy, there was no doubt in the world. "I'm sure he would, but let's not make him, 'k? Let's go and let the others know that we're leaving now."

* * *

**Upstairs**

Once they sent Jordy out of the room, Buffy gave a very quick explanation for the situation and said to her grandfather, "Dada Jack, this could be a bad one. I need you to help keep everyone calm – especially Jordy. I love Gibbs, but he can be like a caged animal sometimes. That's not good for _anyone_."

"You'd be surprised at how good your dad is at keeping youngsters from panicking," Jackson chided gently. "He's a natural with them."

"With normal kids, I know," Buffy agreed, "but Jordy can sense emotions better than a non-were child. If I can sense how agitated he is, so can Jordy. Since this is the first serious Slayer problem that's come up since we found out about each other, he's bound to be anxious until it's over. And I promise that somebody will call the second it is – whether good or bad. I'll give them my cell phone and tell them Gibbs' speed dial number," she promised.

Anya looked scared, yet determined, when she offered her help, "Do you need another magick caster?"

Tara shook her head before Buffy could say anything. "Even though we could use some more help, you couldn't provide it Anya. The pregnancy makes your magick too…unpredictable. This idea is already a big question mark; we need to eliminate as many open variables as possible." Besides, risking a pregnant Anya was out of the question even if it wasn't an issue of magick stability.

Given his own time in the service, Jackson was no stranger to dangerous missions. This was the first time he had to watch his granddaughter go off into one, though. "I don't like it, but I understand why you have to do it…or at least your motivation. You best tell Jethro goodbye, though. In person, if you have the time. Be careful, baby girl," he pleaded with bright, wet eyes.

After she gave him a tight hug, Buffy turned to Tara to ask, "Do we?"

Even though they really didn't, Tara couldn't say no to the request. "Only if we make it really quick. Have him go to a place where he's alone and there aren't any surveillance cameras. We'll pop in so you can say goodbye, then keep going to the safe house in LA."

* * *

**NCIS elevator**

While she grabbed her bags, Buffy called her father, "Hey Gibbs? Are you at the office? Yeah? Then could you go to the elevator and put the emergency stop on when you're alone in there? I need to see you right away, so we'll be using magick to get there quickly."

Gibbs could tell something bad had happened, or was about to happen. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked.

"Just go to the elevator, Dad…please?" Buffy waited until she heard the elevator doors open, then close. When he promised he was alone, she nodded at Tara, who grabbed her and Oz's hands to transport them and their bags. Once they arrived, she hugged Gibbs, which only made him more worried. The sight of their bags and weapons didn't help either. Tara and Oz turned their backs to give the father and daughter a little privacy.

"Tell me what's happening!" he demanded again.

"A Slayer-type situation came up in LA, and we have to go handle it," Buffy answered as succinctly as possible. Gibbs didn't like a lot of extra words, and they didn't have time anyway. She had to keep thinking of him as Gibbs in her mind, or she might get all 'chick flick', and that wasn't good just before a mission like this.

"I take it this situation isn't a simple vampire needing to be staked?" Gibbs astutely guessed.

"You take it right," she confirmed. "To put it in military terms, this is a spec ops mission…into very hostile territory."

Sighing in resignation, and trying to keep from kidnapping her so she couldn't leave, Gibbs asked, "And it requires you _specifically_ to take care of it?" He didn't think attempting to hold her against her will would work anyway, and it certainly wouldn't do his relationship with her any favors.

Buffy nodded again, "Actually, yes. There are only two people in the world qualified to fulfill my role in the plan, and the other one will be there as well. We're hoping that with both of us, it will increase our chances for success. Now before you say anything like you're coming with us, let me tell you that your presence would only be a distraction for us. If it were a non-Slayer thing, I couldn't think of anyone better to watch my back than you, and for something like patrolling, I believe you could handle what we usually face. You just don't have the experience or supernatural-ness to help with this."

Gibbs had one last desperate card to play and he played it. "Are you even well enough to handle this? You were just shot a couple weeks ago," he reminded her.

"I'm all healed up and you know it," Buffy answered with a small smile at his attempt to keep her out of harm's way. If that's the worst he ever pulled, he was the world's greatest parent for a Slayer. Too bad she had to bring up a topic which would only worry him more. "Papa Bear? If something happens to both me and Oz, would you adopt Jordy? Oz will sign a paper saying it is his preference."

"It's that bad?" he asked, already knowing the answer. "Of course I'll take him. Please don't do anything foolish which makes me follow through on that promise, though."

As much as she wanted to reassure him, Buffy knew it was best to be honest with him, "I can't promise anything. If it's a choice between myself and the world…"

Gibbs pulled her in for a hug that made his arms ache. "God, if this is what your mother felt when I was deployed, I'm not sure I blame her for leaving – even if I don't agree with how she did it." He pulled back and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you. Stay safe," he ordered, determined to stay strong until he could be in private with his boat and bourbon.

Buffy went up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek and replied, "I love you, too, Daddy. Somebody will call you with my phone as soon as it's over."

* * *

A/N: So, how much do you hate me right now for leaving it there? Especially since I didn't detail the plan in this chapter. I know the general plan, but wanted to wait until they were ready to implement it before sharing it with you. About what Jackson called Gibbs, let's say that part of their new father/son relationship involved him calling him the same name everyone else used…when they didn't use 'Gibbs', that is.

A/N2: Next…Unto LA.


	41. Chapter 40: A New Plan

**Chapter 40: A New Plan**

A/N: Slight AtS canon change… _'The Girl in Question'_ happened before _'A Hole in the World'_.

Warning: Language in this chapter; might seem OOC, but it's a tense situation.

Challenge: #4472 'Bunny is my what?' by CindyB.

Thanks to my beta: Chrislover. Sorry if I missed anything.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belong to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted in Honor of – spk giving me my 7000****th**** review and requesting an update for this story - on TtH!**

* * *

**LA**

The portal took Tara, Oz and Buffy to a Council safehouse in LA. They found a note from Faith – who had been transported by the coven directly to LA – and took the short walk to Wolfram & Hart to catch up with her.

Faith met them just outside the gleaming new building. "Thought I'd take a sneak peek while I waited for you guys to show up. There's nothing going on that screams 'end of the world' – other than the normal shit that comes from this place. So how do you want to play this, B?" she asked, gesturing to Evil Inc.

Barely pausing to think about it, Buffy answered, "I'm thinking hardball. We don't have time to fuck around with trying to be diplomatic."

"Look at you, girl…dropping an f-bomb," Faith said with a smirk as she opened the front door with one hand; with the other, she grabbed a hidden weapon from her jacket. She gave a fake sniffle and exclaimed, "I'm so proud!"

"Bite me," Buffy shot back as she grabbed the Scythe from her bag.

Bumping her sister-Slayer with her shoulder as the blonde passed, Faith teased, "Nah, not into the vamp scene."

As soon as they stepped over the threshold, security rushed forward to intercept the quartet. Of course, it might have had something to do with the weapons Faith and Buffy were blatantly holding in their hands, or maybe the spell ingredients that Oz and Tara were carrying in their bags.

Whatever the reason, Buffy stepped forward and glared at the guards, using her harshest, pissed off look. "I'm Buffy Summers and these are my friends and co-workers," she introduced her group in a vague sort of way. "We _are_ going to see Angel or Wes right away. Any human who gets in our way has a hospital stay in their immediate future; any demon who does the same might not be that lucky. Do we understand each other?" she demanded coldly.

The two new hires didn't know who she was, so they stepped forward with sneers on their faces. Before the Slayers could move, the pair turned to dust, staked from behind by their human colleagues.

The taller human explained, "They were too stupid to let them exist. Even before the change in management, _all_ members of Wolfram & Hart's security staff were supposed to know who the current Slayer was and to try and avoid a direct confrontation if possible."

One of the demon security guards added, "Demon Resources were definitely scraping the bottom of the barrel with the latest batch of new hires. May we escort you to the executive level? If only to keep more of our employees from dying?" he added with a smirk.

"As long as you don't try to stall or capture us," Buffy replied as they were led to the elevators, weapons still out and ready to use.

The demon replied, "A match up against a Slayer might be tempting under different circumstances, but I promise it won't happen today."

* * *

**Executive floor**

When they stepped off the elevators, Harmony looked over and squeaked in alarm. "I've been off human blood since I started here – except for that one time when this bitch from the steno pool was trying to set me up and spiked my animal blood with human and speaking of spikes, are you here to win my Blondie Bear back…because you can't have him!" she rambled in an almost Willowesque fashion.

Faith shook her head at the high-pitched shriek at the end and pleaded, "Even if she isn't evil, why can't we kill her?"

"Partly because the new Council's motto is to only kill _evil_ demons, not annoying ones, but mostly because she's Angel's problem, not ours. He's the one who has to deal with her all the time," Buffy reminded, smiling at the thought.

"Talk about a rough road to redemption," Faith quipped, letting out a low whistle. She wasn't sure she could do it…although she had Andrew to deal with, so maybe they were even.

Harmony pouted at the soft comments between the Slayers. "You don't have to be so mean about it; I have feelings too," she said, letting them know she heard them.

Ignoring that issue for a more pressing one, Buffy asked, "Where's Angel or Wes, Harmony?"

Rather than try to demand an apology from them, Harmony answered right away, "They're visiting Fred down in the infirmary. She got blasted by something in her lab." After all, these were Slayers who were carrying weapons; Harmony knew it was best not to piss them off any more than they already looked.

With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Tara inquired, "Was it a sarcophagus?"

Harmony looked at Tara in surprise. "Yes! How did you know?"

"Nevermind," Buffy interrupted, anxious to get started now that they knew it was a 'save' mission and not a 'retrieve' one. "We need you to take us there right away."

* * *

**Infirmary**

When they came into the room, Angel glanced at his ex angrily. The suspicion in his voice practically dripped when he asked, "What are you doing here?"

"When we couldn't reach you on the phone, we came to warn you about the sarcophagus, but apparently we're too late for that. Now we're here to do what we can to save Fred's life…if we're able to," Buffy added, not entirely confident in their plan, but willing to trust the people who came up with it.

Still glaring, Angel snapped, "And just _why_ should we let you try? I thought your group didn't trust us anymore. And last I heard, you were 'busy' with the Immortal." Everyone in the room could feel the quote marks around the word busy. Didn't take a genius to figure out what he thought she was doing with the Immortal; even Harmony got it.

By that point, Buffy was rolling her eyes at his mini-tantrum. This was the CEO of a company? "First of all, I would _never_ trust Wolfram & Hart with any of my girls – even if _I_ were the one in charge of the LA branch, so deal." She took a moment to pause and gather her thoughts, then, knowing she couldn't tell him about any Council secrets that didn't involve him directly, said pointedly, "Second, is my personal life really more important than saving your friend?" The Council's alliance with the Immortal hadn't reached its conclusion just yet, so her lookalikes were still 'dating' him.

Thankfully, Spike interjected before Angel could say anything else, "Shut it, Peaches! Good to see you, Slayer. Do you know what's happening to our girl?"

Quirking an eyebrow at the possessive tone in his voice, Buffy explained, sounding nothing like the blonde ditz any of them remembered from Sunnydale, "She's been infected by an Old One. The sarcophagus that was delivered here came from the Deeper Well where all the Old Ones were imprisoned. This one is eating away her body to get it ready for the new owner."

Stunned by the blunt way she said it, Wes pleaded, "Isn't there anything we can do to stop it?"

'_**Huh, guess he loves her. That could help during the spell.'**_ Buffy nodded at Tara to finish the explanation.

"We have an idea, but we aren't sure if it will work. It actually could end up making the situation worse," Tara warned.

"Fred's dying and an Old One is coming back…how could it get worse?" Angel demanded, still stung at Buffy's dismissal of his earlier concerns and worried about his friend.

Tara answered just as bluntly as Buffy did before, "There could be another dozen people dying and a small army of demi-Old Ones. That is why we need your promise that if it does blow up in our faces, you won't hesitate to kill us all…or at the very least, won't stop Oz from killing us."

Although she was becoming weak, Fred spoke up from her bed, "You can't risk yourselves for me. If I'm really that much of a danger, just kill me before it happens."

Unwilling to let her die without a fight, Wes asked, "What is your plan, and how can I help?"

"First, we need to move Fred and the sarcophagus to a place that's clear of evil energy, preferably a field or a meadow. Then we'll create a circle of protection to keep the Old One's essence from escaping into the general population. Our hope is that by focusing the spell through the Slayer's Scythe and funneling the essence into more people, it will be diluted to the point where it can't destroy any single individual. The people getting the essence will have a little something extra in them so they have _some_ resistance to fight it," Tara assured the group.

Narrowing his eyes at the blonde who used to be his enemy, then captor, then friend, then object of his obsession, then back to friend, Spike commented as if he knew the answer, "You're one of those people, aren't you, Slayer?"

Buffy nodded, "And half a dozen other Slayers, plus half a dozen more wiccans from the coven. It was decided that seven on each side was mathematically special or something. The other groups are waiting on clean spots for our signal."

"So I might be respon-?" Fred started to ask, stricken at the idea of killing the forces of good.

"Stop that right now!" Buffy cut her off before she could finish the sentence. "Unless you _knew_ what you were releasing, you aren't to blame. I suggest that the rest of you find out who got the sarcophagus here and blame _them_."

Tara pulled Wes aside and asked, "Would you be willing to be our third point inside the circle? It puts you in harm's way as well, but it would be better to have somebody there to anchor Fred…somebody she trusts."

"Whatever you need, I'll do it," Wes vowed, struggling to maintain his composure. "I can't lose her."

* * *

**An open field**

**A couple hours later…**

Since she was the last of the _Chosen_ Slayers, Faith was the one who had to perform the spell. Wes, Tara and Buffy created a triangle with their hands over Fred's body, which was on top of the sarcophagus, while they stood next to her. Everyone within the circle and watching from outside it were wearing all-natural fibers; something Tara explained was helpful unless they wanted to be naked.

Oz called the other teams to let them know the spell was beginning, then Faith started the chant Tara taught her.

When Faith laid the Scythe on top of Fred's body, Wes put his left hand on the stake end; Tara put hers on the staff; Buffy put hers on the axe end. The trio stacked their right hands over Fred's heart. It wasn't comfortable, but they managed without crossing their arms; another thing that apparently was important somehow. Had to do with blocking energy flow or something.

As the spell drew the trio and Fred into a dreamscape, Buffy was reminded of the desert when she talked to the First Slayer during her vision quest.

A sandstorm came up and surrounded them, choking them with the thick air.

Then a curious thing happened… A figure came out of the blowing sand and asked, "Which one of you is my Qwa'ha Xahn?"

* * *

A/N: Next…Yup, I'm evil for leaving it there. You know me and my cliffies, though. When I post the next update, this story will turn into a series because there's a companion story which is important to this, but doesn't match the flow of B,B,WtD?


	42. Chapter 41: An Old One

**Chapter 41: An Old One**

A/N: It won't be as long as I wanted but the anniversary demands I post even a blurb of something. There is, however, **a companion story (_'__Into the Deeper_ _Well')_** that acts as backstory to this chapter which might help make up a little for it. I had the companion piece written months ago, but didn't want to post it before this chapter because it would give away the surprise.

Warning: There's a couple Trekkie moments happening in this chapter.

Challenge: #4472 'Bunny is my what?' by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: sorry, none this time 'cause I wanted to post on the story's anniversary.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belong to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted in Honor of the 3****rd**** anniversary of the story on TtH! Starting to wonder if this story will ever end.**

* * *

**Dreamscape**

… _A figure came out of the blowing sand and asked, "Which one of you is my __Qwa'ha Xahn__?"_

Buffy looked at her friends with a raised eyebrow, then replied, "Depends on what this 'Kwah-ha-zahn' thing is…and exactly who you are and what you want," she added challengingly.

The figure – which currently looked very similar to Fred – studied Buffy intently before smiling at her. "You are one of mine; the one that has pulled at me within my prison," she declared like a proud mother.

"Excuse me?" Buffy demanded. As much as she wanted to deny this…thing's claim, she _could_ feel a connection to it/her, much to her annoyance. It was a _very_ strong connection, too.

Instead of answering Buffy, the Fred-a-like studied the other three, her eyes narrowing when they finished with Wesley. "You are from the line that imprisoned me and stole my daughters," the being growled as she stepped towards him.

Immediately, Buffy blocked the path, somehow wielding the Scythe within the dreamscape. "Leave him alone!"

"My weapon!" the Old One exclaimed. "Wait! Why are you protecting him? Does he have you bewitched? Do I need to free you?" she asked, staring into the eyes of her daughter for the truth. She knew that if the girl were truly bewitched, the verbal response couldn't be trusted, but the non-verbal would tell her all she needed to know. In this case, it was telling her that nobody controlled this daughter. That knowledge made her smile. She would leave the man alone if he was an ally to her daughter instead of her handler.

Tara had been silently observing the being that – according to all their research – should have been ordering them all to bow down to her/it/him already. But she/it/he wasn't…and it was very confusing. "Who are you?" she inquired, hoping that the name would give them some clue.

"You could be my Qwa'ha Xahn, but you don't have the markings necessary," the Fred 'twin' proclaimed, then smiled at Tara warmly. "I could give them to you if you want," she offered. Then she introduced herself, "I am Sineya, mother of the Slayers."

"Hold on…what?" Buffy yelled. "I thought the Shadowmen tied some girl down and shoved a demon spirit in her to create the first Slayer!"

Sineya – if that's who she really was – gazed at Buffy with an unhappy expression. "A lie. They wanted to appear more powerful than they were, as well as wanting the Slayers to fear the source of their power. After all, what sounds more disturbing: the forcible joining those men described or a girl _offering_ herself to be the Champion of humankind?"

"Okay, you have a point," Buffy conceded. "But how do we know you are telling the truth?"

"You can feel it. That bond between us tells you I am not lying to you," Sineya replied. She turned to look at Fred, and continued sadly, "Besides, trusting me is the only chance we have to save your life."

Fred finally spoke up and asked, "So you know what's happening?"

Sineya nodded, "Yes. What remains of my essence is being funneled into you. My time trapped in the sarcophagus has left me too weak to stop it without my priestesses, but I can no longer feel any of them."

"If your priestesses are the Guardians, the last one died several months ago," Buffy said. It was a shot in the dark, but the way the Guardian talked…how she started to tell Buffy the truth of the Slayer-line before Caleb snapped her neck… It only made sense that she was Sineya's priestess.

"Buffy? Do you believe she is who she claims to be?" Tara inquired out of the blue. The blonde Slayer nodded in reply so Tara turned back to the Old One and asked, "Would marking me as your Qwa'ha Xahn make me one of your priestesses?" Seeing the confusion on everyone's faces, she explained, "If we have her consent, our plan has a better chance of succeeding. We won't have to fight her to do it."

"You had a plan to save the girl?" Sineya asked hopefully.

Suddenly concerned at what it meant for the being in front of them, Tara stuttered, "Umm, yes…but it probably would destroy…umm…_you_."

"No!" Buffy declared immediately, surprising everyone. "We can't take the risk of what it would mean to the Slayer-line if Sineya was destroyed!" She paused for a moment, hanging her head as she thought. When she raised it again, they saw a look of determination, mixed with sadness, take over her features. "Tara, become her priestess, then move the essence from Fred into me."

"It would kill you!" Tara reminded her friend, causing Fred to cry out softly.

"I know," Buffy acknowledged, "but the world needs the Slayer-line to continue. If we destroy Sineya, there's a good chance it goes with her."

Despite the offer being made to her, Sineya did not want to lie to her daughter. "I have not directly affected the line since I sent my essence and weapon to the first girl. All the others were Chosen because they were descendants of my priestesses. It's possible that my death would have no bearing on the line."

"It's not a risk I'm willing to take," Buffy shot back stubbornly. A line from a movie Xander made her watch years ago sprang to mind. "_'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…or the one.' _The world needs the Slayer-line more than it needs Buffy Summers."

"You're quoting Spock?" Fred declared incredulously.

Buffy shrugged. "Seems to apply, don't you think? Hey, I've died for the world two times already; what's once more? There are some kick ass fighters helping out against the demons, but unfortunately, some things still require a Slayer's touch."

Humbled by Buffy's actions, Sineya spoke to Tara, "Do the spell as you intended to; I will make sure enough of my essence goes into my daughter here." Looking at said daughter, she went on, "The world would miss Buffy Summers as well."

When Buffy nodded her agreement, Sineya quickly marked Tara with the symbols needed to become a Qwa'ha Xahn. Then they set up in a picture image of the real world, with Fred lying in the center, the Scythe on top of her. Wes, Buffy and Tara resumed their positions and Sineya stood in Faith's place. As Faith's voice seeped into the dreamscape, Sineya and Tara joined the chant, allowing the spell to work its magic.

Oddly enough, Buffy was reminded once again of that Star Trek movie when Sineya's 'body' turned into what looked like transporter molecules. The molecules hovered in place for several moments, then moved in different directions.

About one-third of them went into Tara, causing her to glow for a couple minutes. Then a mist surrounded her before evaporating into the air. Another third did the same to Buffy.

The remaining third split again.

A small portion went into Fred and stayed there. Surprisingly, another portion went into Wes. Given her feelings about the Shadowmen, it stunned them that she would offer part of herself to one of their descendants.

Wes, Fred and Tara watched as the last piece soaked into Buffy's body and remained in her. They were startled when she changed into Faith. Before they could say anything, though, she became Kendra, then herself again, then a line of other girls they didn't recognize. Wes made the logical assumption that they were past Slayers.

* * *

It took them several minutes to realize that they were no longer in the dreamscape watching this happen, but back in the field where they began.

Angel was the first one to speak up, "What happened in there? Why isn't Buffy waking up with the rest of you? Why is she changing appearances?"

When he saw the two Slayers he had killed flash by quickly, Spike guessed part of the answer to the last question, but remained silent.

"I felt the spell do its thing, so I stopped chanting. Should I have kept going? Is something bad gonna happen to B because I didn't?" Faith asked worriedly.

While they were discussing the spell, Oz quietly called Gibbs to explain the spell was over, but they were still waiting for Buffy to wake up. As soon as he learned more – or when she did wake up – he'd call again.

* * *

**Back in DC**

Gibbs wasn't happy about the lack of information, but at least took comfort in the fact that they weren't killed immediately. He would need his father and Jordy around to keep him from drinking too much while he waited for more news. That, or to keep him from jumping on the first plane to California to be there when she woke up.

When she got home, they'd be having a long discussion about this Slayer thing and if this was something he should expect to happen often in the future. The urge to demand that she give it up almost overwhelmed him…until he remembered that his late wife had done the same thing several years back.

He took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself.

Gibbs would have to be very careful how he worded his concerns to Buffy. And above all, he'd have to remember that this wasn't something she could quit; just like he couldn't quit being an NCIS agent without giving up a large part of himself. He wouldn't make Buffy choose between being a daughter and being a Slayer.

Her choice wasn't something he could live with – either for her sake and his own.

* * *

A/N: I kept having Sineya refer to Buffy as her daughter just because it sounded nicer than vessel or weapon. She honestly thought of the Slayers and Guardians as family.

A/N2: Next…The fallout of the spell.


	43. Chapter 42: A New One

**Chapter 42: A New One**

A/N: The title is a play on the last chapter title as well as the merging of Sineya and Buffy.

Warning: none that I can think of.

Challenge: #4472 'Bunny is my what?' by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: not this time, so sorry for any mistakes I missed.

Disclaimer: BtVS/AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belong to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted in honor of Katt giving me my 7500****th**** review on TtH and requesting an update for B,B,WtD?**

* * *

**Field**

As they waited for Buffy to come to, Tara, Wes and Fred explained to the others what happened to them in the dreamscape.

Faith let out a loud guffaw when she heard the new origin story of the Slayer line. "Whoa! That is just _freaky_! Only B could go into a battle and find an ally instead. She has the best and worst luck of anyone I know," she said with a hint of teasing in her voice.

"At least it wasn't the reverse. It would suck if she had to _fight_ an ally," Gunn remarked casually. He didn't realize it would cause three of the people in the group to flinch in shame.

Spike, Angel and Faith each recalled different times when Buffy had to face them despite their 'ally' status. Spike had been controlled by the First, and Angel had been Angelus at the time, but it still bothered them that Buffy had to go through that.

Faith didn't even have that much comfort since she had acted of her own free will when she went to the Mayor's side. Remembering that the two of them had already hashed out their issues, the brunette Slayer shook off her melancholy mood before she started brooding.

To break the mood, Tara changed the subject, "We should see how everyone else from the spell is doing. I sort of _feel_ that they're okay, but I'd like to hear it from them as well."

Wes looked surprised by Tara's confession. "You feel them, too? I was wondering about that myself," he admitted.

"You can tell how everyone is? What about Buffy? Is she alright?" Angel demanded to know.

Tara stilled herself and concentrated for several minutes, then she shook her head. "All I can feel is a sense of being overwhelmed. I can't even say for sure who's feeling it. Heck, it could be _me_ for all I know."

"Well, when we speak to the others, we should learn more," Wes said, sounding a bit Watcher-ish…not like his father or Travers, but the good kind, like Giles.

Using the conference call feature on her new phone, Tara called the Watchers who were with the other six groups involved in the spell. A brief conversation on speakerphone verified that everyone was okay, if a bit thrown by the experience. They all felt…something, but couldn't really explain it with words. At least not yet.

Since she knew that they all got part of Sineya, Tara had to ask them, "Is anyone able to do anything super-Slayer-ish?"

She heard everyone say 'no' over the phone line, but one of the other witches added, "Right now I think we're all too wiped to even try anything Slayer-ish. Even the Slayers are too tired." There was a mumbled conversation, then the witch murmured, "Huh, apparently I have some funky markings on my body, though."

The other witches were checked by their teammates and confirmed they had markings as well. But none of the Slayers did. Tara looked at the priestess tattoos Sineya gave her in the dreamscape and described them for everyone. When they all agreed that their markings were very similar, she realized that Sineya made all the witches in the spell her new priestesses.

The markings worried Angel a lot, and he voiced his concerns aloud, "Are we sure this Sineya is who she says she is? Maybe she's evil? After all, she was trapped in the Deeper Well for a reason."

Faith shook her head at the idea, "No…if she's evil, then all the Slayers are, too. I can feel the connection to her through my powers."

"But maybe she's manipulating you somehow; making you _think_ she's responsible for the Slayer line," he insisted.

Tara stared at the ensouled vampire with an intensity that made him squirm a bit. "Why do you sound like you _want_ to believe the worst about this?"

"Sineya let them save my life," Fred reminded everyone. "Can't this be a good thing?" she pleaded.

Angel sighed. It wasn't that he wanted to believe they were infected with an evil creature; it's just that their history with powerful beings made him wary. "The idea of a benevolent goddess-type helping us? It just reminds me too much of Jasmine."

Wes understood Angel's concerns, but having gone through the Jasmine situation himself, he knew this was entirely a different story. That's why he felt he was able to razz his boss a little, "Well, if we start telling people to worship us, feel free to say 'I told you so' to us."

Scowling at the former Watcher, Angel crossed his arms and said a touch petulantly, "I'll just feel better when Buffy wakes up and we can be sure she's herself." When he glanced over at her, his former love was still changing faces at a rapid pace.

* * *

**In the dreamscape**

As her outward appearance changed from Slayer to Slayer, Buffy was given the opportunity to glance into their lives – from the moment they were Called to the moment of their death; the exception being Faith because she hadn't died yet.

Sineya's voice was heavy with grief when she spoke, "Each death haunted me in my prison. But then I saw their reward on the other side and I rejoiced for them. Your second return that hurt worse than all the deaths combined because I knew what it was condemning you to again."

"I wasn't real thrilled about it at first either," Buffy retorted sharply, upset at the reminder of being in heaven. Then calming down a bit, she sighed and added, "But even if the first couple years back were tough, now I'm in a place where I'm happy to be alive again."

"Because of your father," Sineya guessed. The last several months witnessing Buffy's life were more hopeful in nature.

Buffy nodded, "Yeah, but not just him. All my family, both by blood and by friendship, have helped me heal in a way that I didn't think was possible those first days back. Knowing that we changed the world – without forcing any girls to fight who didn't want to – gives me hope. I never want them to feel the loneliness that the rest of us 'Chosen Ones' felt."

"They won't," Sineya declared confidently. "You have made sure of that."

"So what's the deal with me feeling everyone? Is this normal? Will we start reading each other's minds?" Buffy asked, horrified at the thought. Her brief stint as a mind reader in high school still caused the occasional nightmare.

Shrugging, Sineya answered, "If it is an extension of what I had in my prison, you will only get snippets of each other's lives…and only from this point on. I never knew my daughters before they received my essence through the Calling. Even the ones that became my daughters several months ago, I haven't felt them. I just know that they have some of my essence within them. Mostly it is just the powerful emotions that get through. As we grow stronger together, we'll be able to block it if you desire it; to be honest, while I was imprisoned, I craved the contact so I never blocked it before."

"Then how are you sure we can?" Buffy inquired.

"Because this bond was the same as the one I shared with my priestesses," Sineya replied simply. It made sense to her that what was true for that bond would be the same for this one.

Buffy nodded her acceptance, then asked another question, "What about your powers? How will those work?"

Sineya sighed, not because she was annoyed, but because she wasn't sure of the answer. "You know that when you called on my spirit to face the abomination a few years back, you got a taste of my powers, right?"

"Uh huh," Buffy answered warily. "I also remember the First Slayer trying to kill my friends and me in our sleep afterwards."

It was a little funny to see a 'goddess' blush in shame. "I was angry that you used men in the spell – especially one of _those_ men," she admitted, reminding Buffy of her disdain for Watchers.

Buffy shrugged. "Can't say I blame you much. Most of them are complete jerks – even the women aren't that great. Well, the ones I met, anyway," she corrected herself. She had the impression that Faith thought Diana Dormer was okay.

Deciding to get back to the earlier question, Sineya said, "I thought I could try to affect which powers went to which people involved in the spell this time. The more mystical aspects of my essence I tried to channel into the priestesses; the physical ones went to my daughters. The two focal people I tried to leave alone as much as possible. By the time it got to you, I was so tired that I couldn't control the flow anymore."

Buffy thought about what Sineya was saying and tried to interpret it in her mind. "I know 'daughters' mean the other Slayers; I'm guessing 'priestesses' mean the witches involved; and I get that Fred is one of the focal people, but who's the other?"

"The man who came with you," Sineya replied. "He cared enough about the woman you call 'Fred' to face death, so I thought he should share the gifts she received. That way she has somebody who cares about her who will truly understand what she's going through."

"Thank you on their behalf," Buffy remarked with tears in her eyes. She truly hoped that they would have a happier ending than any of her romantic attempts.

Sineya just bowed her head in response. "Thank you for showing me that some of _them_ could be trusted. Now it is time for you to wake up and reassure your friends."

* * *

**Field again**

**Many hours later after the spell in real time…**

After Buffy hit the two hour mark without waking up, Gibbs informed Oz that he, Jackson and Jordy were flying out to LA. Oz nodded stoically; the man lasted longer than he expected him to, and honestly, he'd like to have his family nearby while they waited.

Even though it was starting to get dark, they didn't want to move Buffy in case it caused problems for her. They decided it was better just to protect her where she was.

When Gibbs and Jackson saw Buffy changing into different girls, they started to freak out until Oz explained what they thought was going on within the dreamscape. Jackson looked sad and murmured, "So many girls." It didn't seem right that countless girls had to sacrifice their lives like that to keep the world safe.

At the eight hour mark, Jordy fell asleep in one of the SUVs, but only after Oz promised to wake him when Buffy woke up. The others found their own ways to wait.

Faith was sparring with Angel and Spike; Fred and Wes were making googly-eyes at each other; Gunn went back to the office to find out how the sarcophagus got to Wolfram & Hart in the first place; Lorne was playing errand boy for anyone that needed something; Tara was talking almost constantly on the phone to various people in the Council; Jackson and Gibbs were whittling stakes for Buffy.

It was just past the 12th hour that they noticed a change. Tara gasped when she saw the face of the First Slayer. After the enjoining spell, the gang described the primal girl so it was easy for Tara to recognize her. That face lasted longer than the others for some reason. Instead of the five seconds that the others each took, the First Slayer stayed for over two minutes.

Then to everyone's shock, she opened her eyes and said, "Take care of my Daughter."

Buffy's face finally appeared again and she blinked in confusion. "Hey, guys…when did it get so dark?" she asked before she was buried in hugs from just about everyone.

Needless to say, she was shocked at learning how long she was in the dreamscape. Her bladder let her know that they weren't kidding, however. Once she finished taking care of nature, she came back and used half a bottle of Purell hand sanitizer – could she just say how much she hated no bathrooms? – then told everyone about her conversation with Sineya.

Wes looked humbled at the thought he was considered worthy of receiving part of the Mother of Slayers (a term that the Council had decided on in the past twelve hours) so he could be a better partner to Fred. He would try to never prove her wrong in her trust of him.

* * *

**Around the world**

It took weeks to realize what Sineya meant by the different aspects of her essence.

All the people involved in the spell could speak any language that a past Slayer spoke, plus Sineya's language. The Slayers involved suddenly could fight as well as Buffy and Faith, even if they hadn't been that great at it before. The witches could create shields out of thin air and transmute small items. If enough of the witches worked together, they could manipulate time in the space around them.

As for Buffy, Fred and Wes…they received the ability to change their appearance slightly. They had purple highlights in their hair and skin and silver body armor which was seemingly impervious to weapons. They didn't want to test the extent of that protection, though.

If there were any other improvements, they had yet to discover them.

* * *

A/N: Next…They head back to DC. I need to figure out if they have a slow chapter to recover from everything or if I should jump to the next big plot twist.


	44. Chapter 43: An Old-Fashioned Vacation

**Chapter 43: An Old-Fashioned Vacation**

A/N: Man, I'm a soppy mess today; just watched the annual classic 'White Christmas' and it set me to crying. It'd be tempting to do a fanfic about it, but I can't imagine how I could make any of it better. The only thing I could do would be a Slayer version of it. Maybe someday, but for now I'll stick to the update instead.

Warning: I don't know; maybe language and innuendo somewhere along the way.

Challenge: #4472 'Bunny is my what?' by CindyB.

Thanks to my betas: none since I needed to get this posted today.

Disclaimer: BtVS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. NCIS characters belong to Donald Bellisario, Don McGill and CBS Paramount Television. Jack Ryan and his friends belongs to Tom Clancy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

**Posted in honor of the holiday season! Stay safe, everyone!**

* * *

**LA**

While Buffy was going through her changes in the dreamscape, the Council decided on a few things concerning all of the people affected by the spell. The major ones were that they would be monitored for any behavioral changes and they were put on administrative leave for at least two weeks…longer if it appeared they needed more time to adjust to their new selves.

Gibbs took the opportunity to call Jenny and tell her that he was taking some of his vacation time. She couldn't say anything – other than griping about the short notice – because he had the most vacation time accrued of _anyone_ working at NCIS. He was getting close to the 'use it or lose it' point, as a matter of fact.

Pending Buffy's approval, the guys in her life made plans to go winter 'camping' at a hunting cabin near Stillwater. There was a lake nearby, and assuming the ice was thick enough, Gibbs and Jackson wanted to take the kids ice fishing. The big problem would be convincing Buffy to give up modern conveniences for two weeks. Oz suggested bribing her that if she went, they'd pay for her to go to a spa for a few of those days so she could relax in luxury and be pampered.

Because nobody wanted to leave Anya unattended or feeling neglected near the end of her pregnancy, Tara offered to stay at the house and keep her company. They would join Buffy at the spa for a little pampering of their own.

So the plans were tentatively set. All they needed was for Buffy to wake up and say yes to them.

* * *

**Cabin in Pennsylvania**

All it took was for Jordy to give Buffy the wolf cub eyes and she caved like a town built on top of a system of tunnels, subjected to a powerful, mystical spell meant to destroy the entrance to other dimensions.

Once they did some shopping and packing, they drove out into the boondocks about an hour from Stillwater and parked along the side of a dirt road near a small garage. Inside the garage were two four-wheel ATVs with attached trailers. "We use these to haul our supplies back and forth to the cabin," Jackson explained as they began to unload the trucks. "With so many of us, though, we may have to make another trip to get all the gear and supplies in."

The cabin was nicer than Buffy feared it would be. Sure, it was more rustic than she normally would like, but it was clean…_very_ clean. As if he guessed where her thoughts went, Jackson spoke up again, "We are serious about the cleanliness of the cabin when we leave it. Any messes that are left attract the wildlife and we don't want this becoming a dump, so we have a checklist that everyone has to adhere to or they won't be allowed back," he added, pointing to a clipboard next to the door. Just like he said, there were several copies of a checklist with things to do before leaving.

There were a couple things missing from the picture, though.

"Uhh, where are the faucet and light switches?" Buffy asked, nervous about what the answer would be. To her, 'rustic' would mean no TV or phone.

"Don't have either," Gibbs answered with a grin. "Out back is hand pump for water during the warmer months and we use lanterns for light. The outhouse is outside to the right about fifty feet."

"We have a few tricks to help keep it from smelling too bad," Jackson cut in before the younger people could cringe too much. "Two of the big ones are dumping water in every once in a while to help the good bacteria to grow and dumping ash from the stove to cut the smell and force…_everything_ down to the bottom of the pit. When we have a lot of people using the cabin for a long time, we also have them throw their toilet paper in a garbage can instead of down the hole. Worst case scenario, we have some of that spray stuff to cut the smell. Usually don't have to resort to it, though."

"How are we supposed to clean up?" Oz inquired curiously. He knew that if things got too gross, they could always go into town and rent a hotel room for their showers.

Gibbs knocked on a door on the far side of the kitchen. "Back here is a sauna. We use it to sweat off the dirt, then rinse ourselves off with a bucket of water. Does a good enough job for the few days that we're usually here."

"Okay," Buffy reluctantly agreed, "But I reserve the right to find a way to take a shower in town every so often if I start to feel too icky."

"That's fine, sweetheart," Gibbs replied. "We'll have to go to town every few days anyway for supplies. There isn't enough space to store everything we need for five people for more than that. Speaking of which, we should double check for any signs of mice or squirrels before we unpack everything."

"You do that while I get the stove going," Jackson ordered, moving to go back outside for a load of wood.

Thankfully for Buffy's sanity, there were no signs of wildlife in the building, so they started unloading their gear. Gibbs warned them that whoever took the loft would get really warm during the night due to the heat from the stove. Because of the added privacy being upstairs would provide her, Buffy decided to risk the stuffiness and hauled her stuff up the ladder.

When she unrolled her sleeping bag on the mattress (which was zipped up in a plastic cover to keep the critters and humidity away) and set out a couple sets of clothes and her toiletries bag, Buffy climbed back downstairs to help with the rest of the supplies.

On the back of the stove was a water reservoir that held 25 gallons for them to use for cooking and washing the dishes that weren't paper products; the paper was burned in the fire after each meal. Most of the pots and pans were cast iron, and it looked like Dada Jack was re-seasoning them before starting dinner. At least that's what he said he was doing.

Buffy decided to put her Slayer muscles to use and grabbed the five gallon water jugs to pour into the reservoir.

"If you really want to take care of the water, there's another reservoir in the sauna that needs to be filled as well," Gibbs teased as he walked in with another armload of wood. Jordy was following closely behind with his own armful of smaller branches. "All we need for the sauna is wood and water, both of which we have plenty of so we can use it every night if we want."

By the time both vehicles were completely unloaded and all the empty 5-gallon jugs were back in the bed of the truck for a refill when they went back to town, the fire was going full blast and the warmth spread throughout the kitchen quickly. There was just enough time before dark to pull the ice fishing house out onto the lake with one of the ATVs, and clear some ice nearby for ice skating (for when the younger generation grew bored of fishing). To smooth out the ice rink, they drilled a hole in the ice using the auger and scooped out buckets of water to pour over the clearing until it was mostly bump-free.

The coffee and hot chocolate that they made back in the cabin was much appreciated by the group, as well as the cozy warmth created by the stove. They had a simple meal of pre-prepared spaghetti that was warmed up on the stove before Oz entertained them with his acoustic guitar. Still, it was a bit of a shock to the system to go to sleep before nine. But they were warned that their day would start at five the next morning, so bedtime was accepted with minimal grumbling.

After a few days, the routine became rather relaxing…something that was a huge shock to the self-described 'city girl'. That wasn't to say she didn't take full advantage of the showers in town at the local YMCA. She didn't do a lot of fishing, preferring to skate instead, but she did spend an hour or so each day in the fish house with the guys. She traded cleaning the fish with Jordy for skating lessons. Gutting fish was a lot grosser than gutting demons for some reason.

The cabin life – aside from going outside to take care of nature – was pretty cool. Their meals were pretty simple, but filling and tasty. Her new favorite activity was taking a sauna; they were _so_ going to have to get one of those for the house back in DC! And every evening they would listen to Oz strum his guitar while they played cards or dice games like Yahtzee and Farkel. When he joined in the games with the others, they would listen to the radio. All-in-all, it was a very soothing break from their busy lives – especially the past several months and all the emotional roller-coastering it brought, both good and bad.

Buffy learned about her first Sineya enhancement one day when a snow-ladened branch snapped and was about to hit Jordy. She pushed him out of the way, causing it to hit her instead, but despite the fairly big size of it, she didn't even have so much as a welt on her head. The only clue about what happened was her purple-tinted hair and her clothes changing to a silver armor. Taking one look at herself in the mirror, she shrugged and quipped, "It could be worse; it could be plaid or polka dots or some other fashion disaster."

* * *

**DC area**

As the Gibbs and Osbourne families enjoyed their break from civilization, Tara did all she could to help Anya with J.R. and Anya's writing. She also ran a lot of errands when Anya had certain cravings. Currently, it was popcorn. But not just any popcorn; it had to be air-popped with real butter and just a hint of salt and Kraft cheese powder (from their Mac & Cheese boxes). Fortunately, Tara found a store that sold the powder in separate bottles.

The day before the girls were supposed to meet Buffy at the spa and hand over J.R. to the guys, they had a couple surprise visitors.

"Wes! Fred! What are you two doing here?" Tara asked when she found them on the front doorstep.

The pair looked at each other nervously, then dove into their explanation. "We left Wolfram & Hart," Wes stated bluntly.

"What Wes meant to say was that we _had_ to leave," Fred clarified when it didn't seem like he was going to expand on his statement. "There are some people in the company who have tried to capture us so they could study Sineya…or the closest thing they could get to her. They were hoping that if they could figure out how to pull her out of us – or force her to do their bidding – they could either destroy or control the Slayer line."

"We got lucky that it was Sineya in the sarcophagus, but still it served as a reminder to us that we've put ourselves in a dangerous position," Wes added with a hint of dejection. "And for what? Have we really made a difference in our time there? Or have we been fooling ourselves thinking that we could?"

Tara wisely kept her mouth shut, despite her own opinion of Angel's group joining Evil Inc. This was something they needed to vent about before they made any plans for their future. Thankfully Anya was busy packing for the spa because there was no way that she'd keep quiet.

"The others are working on a way to take at least the LA branch down for good," Fred confided. "Then they'll do as much damage as possible before leaving, too. We all decided that it was just too dangerous for Wes and me to stay. We couldn't put the Slayer line at risk like that."

"You're welcome to join the Council…assuming you pass the entrance interview. Not that I would think there would be a problem with that, of course. After all, Sineya put a bit of herself in you," Tara assured them with a warm smile. "If the others want, we can make them the same offer."

Wes appeared contemplative for a moment, then shook his head. "As tempting as the offer is, I'm not sure it'll work out – at least for the others. I wouldn't mind giving it another try now that the Council is something to be proud of, but I think Angel works best as a free agent, so to speak. He probably wouldn't mind being an official ally, and go ahead and make the offer to him. I'm just telling you what I think his answer will be."

"Fair enough," Tara said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I imagine that it would be hard to go from leader of the pack to another team member. Plus you guys have your own group dynamics. Trying to force everyone together would probably blow up in our faces later on. Until you make your decision, you're welcome to stay here. They have plenty of space. We do have plans for the next couple days, but you can join us if you want."

"What's that?" Fred asked, relieved that they weren't being treated like a semi-ally; the kind that are just the lesser of two evils. They already knew that everyone – from Buffy and Giles, down to the newest Slayers and Watchers – were given an entrance interview. She still wasn't sure how that worked for the heads of the Council, though.

"The girls are having a spa weekend and the guys are hanging at the cabin for a few last days. Then Buffy has to meet with a team from the Coven to be sure she's ready to go back to work," Tara explained.

"I wouldn't mind a spa weekend…Wes?" Fred turned and gave him her biggest pleading eyes. The poor guy never stood a chance. Hopefully he wouldn't make too big of a fool of himself out in the wilderness.

* * *

A/N: Next…Unless Musie comes up with another idea, we're gonna head to the next crisis…as soon as I figure out how to set it up (If it should be strictly human or if it should have some supernatural element to it).


End file.
